My Dad's a Ninja
by Romulus123
Summary: What if Naruto, by a chance mistake, was transported to the Realm of Earth and gods? What if he met a certain goddess while he was there? How would he be able to handle being a father and this strange new world? (Has a bit of angst for the first couple of chapters but it gets better. It will not always focus on the family part of the story as it has a fair bit of romance and drama)
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys. Its finally break and I can write again. But don't worry for those of you who were looking forward to a new The Broken Ones update it's coming soon. Probably after Christmas. This was something that a friend of mine was interested in. I was telling her about Naruto and she decided she wanted to do a crossover. The only problem was that she knew jack shit about Naruto. So we're co-writing this one. I hope you like it. I've only seen this Idea done once I'm loving it. So I doing the same sorta thing. But in a different way. I hope you like it.**

* * *

Annoyed. That pretty much summed up how Naruto Uzumaki was feeling at the moment. One second he was messing around with Flying Thunder God seal array, using Jiraiya's and his father's notes, and the next second it explodes and he wakes up to find himself in some city.

Now he hadn't been the sharpest kunai in the set in his early years and even into his teens but he had made it a point to become much smarter. And he had. He was on his way to Hokage before this mess. But that's not really important. The point was that he was smart and knowledgeable enough to know that seals could do some pretty impossible things. Things like hold back a millennia old chakra beast powerful enough to create tsunami's and level mountains with just a swipe of it's tails. So it wouldn't be too far-fetched to assume that they could transport a person to another world or dimension. And that was exactly what Naruto had assumed happened.

The reason he thought this was because no one in this new place spoke his language. Or at least not exactly. He was able to hold a conversation with a man who spoke a language called Japanese. It was quite similar but still had differences. And through this man he was able to learn English.

The man's name was Frederick Chase. Frederick was able to teach him English over the span of six months. It was around that time that he told Frederick about himself. It was only right because the man had let him room with him and provided for him. At first his friend didn't believe him and called him crazy. That was before Naruto showed him the Shadow Clone. Frederick had promptly fainted after this particular revelation but woke up soon after.

But then Frederick started asking limitless questions about where the blonde came from and the culture; mostly the military aspect. Naruto was happy to answer his friend's questions but he knew he had to work on becoming a part of society. He had thought it would have been hard but it was quite the opposite. All he had to do was use Genjutsu and ninja skills. Very soon Naruto had taken the oath and recited the pledge of allegiance and was an official citizen of the United States.

That brought him to the present and why he was annoyed. He was broke. No money. None. And he couldn't rely on Freddy, his nickname for Frederick, forever. He didn't want to work. That wasn't his style. He had become too much like Jiraiya for that to ever work !

'That's it!' he thought as he sat on the small couch in Freddy's dorm room. He reached into the pouch he had on him when he was transported to this place and he pulled out a small green book. The Tale of a Gutsy Ninja was the first book Jiraiya had ever written. In Naruto's opinion it was bestseller material but it had never taken off back home. However, Naruto figured that was because about eighty percent of men in the Elemental Nations were closet perverts that only enjoyed reading smut. And Naruto wasn't about to republish Icha Icha. He would never let that abomination loose in this world. So that's what he would do. He would republish Jiraiya's book and then write a few of his own based on his own experiences.

Naruto smiled to himself, "Ok! No more being dead broke. But first. Coffee." With that said he found Freddy's wallet and took out a few bucks. He'd be able to repay him later. Probably. He smiled and set out for downtown San Francisco.

...

She sighed, sipping slowly on her latte. Her dark hair was tucked up into a red beret, which matched her red and cream plaid shorts. Blending was crucial when one was as she was. She felt masculine eyes upon her from almost every side, and rolled her own. Strife and discord. Chaos.

She turned her eyes upon a classic surfer, and his eyes went blank. He suddenly walked into the center of the coffee shop and did the Funky Chicken all the way out the door. She sighed and relaxed, sipping at her latte again. There was one less problem. But there was always another that showed up to replace him.

She crossed her legs, then uncrossed them, then crossed them again. She rolled her shoulders and tried to relax, tried to blend. But her goddess-temptations demanded to be scratched. She smiled as another blonde-haired blue-eyed youth replaced the surfer she had sent out the door dancing. Her eyes narrowed with interest, flashing red for a split second. There was something about him, something hiding. Something her libido liked.

She smirked softly, deciding to fuck with him. Just enough to test that chaos in his heart. She chuckled. She hadn't spent this much time scheming since the beginning of the Trojan War.

He was no Paris, but instead of a golden apple, he would get a golden coffee. He placed his order, eyes darting around, not nervous, but observatory. When she felt his eyes sweep her body, she moved, very slightly, but enough that his eyes darted back to her, back to her dark eyes, her neckline, her tattoos...

She focused on the barista taking his order. Something simple. She liked that in a man. Kept things less complicated. All he wanted was an espresso. BOR-ING. She smirked, and gently, carefully, twisted the Barista's hand on the cashier to a Venti, Vinalla Soy Decaf Latte with extra whip cream. She sipped at her drink again, and sat back to watch the scene.

He stood there for a while, and seemed to realize his order was taking longer than needed. He began to drum his fingers impatiently on the counter, rolling his eyes. When he was handed the cup, covered in black markings in the baristas rapid handwriting, he arched an eyebrow, then took a weary sip. His eyebrows shot up and he frowned.

She chuckled, her eyes narrowed in mischief. He carefully set down the cup, and his eyes turned... Different. He was turned away from her, so she couldn't exactly see their colour, but could tell they had gone from blue to another. She frowned and watched with fascinated eyes as he reached over the counter, and while the baristas back was turned, flipped a switch on the steamer. The air was quickly filled with hot water vapor, and the smoke alarms went crazy. A magnificent din was raised as the sprinklers came on, and the coffee shop was evacuated with the speed of lightning. She watched him run, pretending to be startled, and then upset that he was wet.

She started to laugh, long, deep hearty laughs. Her shirt may have been clinging to her like soaked second skin, but she could care less. A little bit of chaos always made her feel better. And gods, she knew she needed it. Then his eyes turned to her laughter, again scanning her tattoos, her neckline, the way her chest was moving because of her laughter. Her breath caught in her throat as she met his eyes, then she smiled shyly, but she let her eyes sparkle naughtily. What had she found now?

...

Why was she laughing? That one thought kept running through the blonde's head as he watched the woman. He should have ruined her day by pulling that little stunt, but she looked happy as if she had just won the lottery. Ok. Now she wasn't laughing anymore. But she seemed to be staring at him like a lioness would a wounded antelope; like she was ready to pounce on him and tear his throat out, or do something less violent but equally as frightening to his naive virgin mind.

Naruto pivoted around on his right foot and stuffed his hands in his jean pockets, intent on getting as far away from the lady as possible. He was able to get a couple steps away before her voice rung out and made him freeze.

"I saw what you did back there."

Naruto sighed and looked back with an apologetic look on his face, "Look lady. I'm sorry about your clothes but they mucked up my order and I'm running on fumes as it is. I don't have enough money for that crap."

The woman just chuckled walked towards him sensually, "I said I saw what you did. I never said that I didn't like it. I liked it very much in fact. It was very...chaotic."

Naruto gulped as she got closer. She was really pretty and her wet clothes were not helping his case in the least. He tried to keep his eyes on her face as she walked towards him but he was failing miserably. He also managed to notice that she was smirking at him. Before he knew it the woman, who he had never met, was latched onto his arm. Naruto felt a surge tear through him as she touched him. It felt like lightening and it made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. But most of all, it made him feel vulnerable. He didn't know where it was coming from, but this woman had power in her. Lots of it.

"So. Do you like what you see?"

The sound of the woman's sultry voice brought Naruto back to reality. He couldn't help but be smothered by the woman's presence and aura. It was warm but also very charged and erratic. For some reason it felt similar to how he felt when he used Kurama's chakra. And that put him on guard. However, despite his suspicion, the woman's close proximity had him flustered. His reply to her question came out weak as he stumbled over his words, "I think you a-are very pretty. Much more so th-than other ladies I've s-seen."

The woman's eyes sparkled with michevious delight as she reached up with her right hand and traced the line of the blonde's jaw slowly with her index finger. Again, the electric surge ripped its way through Naruto's body and sent shivers down his spine as goosebumps rose on his skin.

"Awww. Such a sweet thing to say. You're such a gentleman," the woman whispered smugly, "You aren't too bad yourself, blondie." She stood on her tip toes and whispered huskily into his ear, "In fact, I would say that you are rather ravishing."

Naruto felt the heat rise into his neck and continue onto his face before finally pooling under his eyes in a bright red blush. He had to get away from this woman. She was confusing him and fucking with his head big time and he could tell that she was enjoying every second of it. He did the only thing he could think of and pulled the woman into his arms so that his hands were concealed behind her back.

The woman 'eeped' before looking up at him with an annoyed smirk, "Well, someone is certainly bold. First you get me soaking wet and now you do this. I don't even know your na-" The woman was cut off as the muscular blonde in front of her disappeared in a orange flash of light. Her smirk became an angry scowl.

Naruto leaned onto one of the giant trees of the Redwood forest that he had teleported to. He took in deep breaths and the flush slowly faded from his face. He sighed and started walking back towards the bridge. Walks were good for thinking and he had a lot to think about.

...

Her eyes narrowed in displeasure. Whatever... Animalistic... Part of him that was the center of the chaos that surrounded him... She wanted it. Badly. She smirked suavely, and began to calculate a way to get even with him. She turned away from the coffee shop, irritatedly drying her clothes, and changing them.

She turned down a dark alley, her hair pulled away from her face, braided to the back of her head, letting it hang free there. Now she wore black, a halter top that ended below the arch of her ribs, and tight black shorts that were as short as they came. She was whistled at, but paid no attention to it. She had a fixed destination in her mind, and at the end of the alley, turned back to the mouth of the alley and grinned at the people who had cat called after her, and vanished into a whisp of silver fog that dissipated in mere seconds.

She reappeared, crouched in a pile of dead leaves, with no sound. She watched him move through the forest, hands stuck in his pockets. She frowned. He moved like a warrior. His shoulders were tense, and his eyes darted to the shadows, watching for anything that might show itself and prove its idiocy.

She smirked, and her body shrank, covering itself with fur as her nose elongated and she grew a tail. She bounded through the leaves, a little black fox with amber eyes and a white-tipped tail. She let her pink tongue hang out of her mouth as she ran ahead of him,curling up in the roots of a giant redwood.

He walked past, kicking a small rock he had found on the trail, still scanning the shadows for any anomaly. She shut her eyes quickly, as he passed her, careful to remain absolutely still.

When she could see no more of the front of his shirt, she crept from her hiding spot and bolted after him. His ears twitched, and he rounded to face her, his stance defensive. She tucked her tail between her legs and flattened her ears, her wet little nose twitching in curiosity. She crept toward him, and took his pant leg in her teeth and tugged, bounding away. When he didn't follow, she returned, meek and cautious, tugging his pant leg harder, then leading him away again. He followed hesitantly, and she rolled in the leaves, trying to taunt him into chasing her. When he finally picked up the pace to a jog, she began to dart in and out of the trees like she owned them, making him veer off course suddenly, randomly.

Chaotically.

A briar thicket was her destination, a small tunnel having been dug into it, so only an animal about her size could enter. When she arrived, panting with exertion, and crawled into the thorns, she froze wondering if he would follow. She somehow turned around without getting pricked, and stuck her head out the small opening. She yelped at him, and made the closest thing she could to a smile while in this form, before entering the thicket.

She crawled slowly through the thicket, having heard him enter behind her. She crawled at ad faster, so all he ever saw was her white tipped tail vanishing around a corner. She then started to run, and he started to curse, struggling through the barbed plant with some creative vocabulary.

When he did emerge into the enter of the thicket, all he saw was her, submerged in a natural spring of crystal clear water, back in her mortal form. She was combing the braid out of her hair with her fingers, humming softly to herself, the smooth, pale skin of her back only interrupted by the dark ink of her tattoo. She heard him stop, and draw in a breath. She smiled, and stopped humming. She did not turn her body, but dropped one shoulder to growl at him, "How dare you even begin to think that you could run. No man ever flees my grasp."

The power and ferocity in his voice made her shiver, and she could feel the blonde's eyes on her. "I don't know what game this is. I dont want to play anymore."

She moved toward him, staying within her pool, resting her arms on the banks. "I think you do. If you win, there's a prize to be had."

He stiffened. She raised herself out of the pool, and sat on the bank, still turned away from him. He said angrily, making her shiver again, making fire run through her limbs. "You're going to tell me who you are. Now." He was making demands of her. Her eyes flashed red. How dare he.

She turned over her shoulder, letting her torso follow her, showing him a side profile. "My name is Aella. It's Greek." She could feel his eyes on her, and longed for them when they darted around the thicket, as if waiting for something to attack him.

"My name is Na-"

She stood and walked toward him, and he froze mid-name. She could care less. "It doesn't matter. I know what you are - and that's what matters."

He got tense again. Dammit.

"Remember if you play - you could win the prize." She laced her fingers in his, and he grew even more tense, ever so slightly leaning away from her, his stance still defensive and on edge.

He frowned, looking her up and down. She watched relief flood his eyes when he saw her bikini, which nearly matched her skin tone. He looked back to her face, and his eyes narrowed dangerously. "What am I, then? What do you know?"

She stretched up, her eyes turning heated. She put her lips close to his ear, her hand on his shoulder. "I know you are a man." He shuddered, and she slowly began to move her hand over his right pectoral, down toward his navel. "I also know you have never known the..." He inhaled sharpley, and she stopped moving her hand, and drew it away from his waistband. "Never imagined..." She pressed herself closer, and his arms were around her; hands in the small of her back. She released a small sound of surprise, and pulled away, but his arms were like iron. She took another step back, actively fighting him, but he moved with her, his eyes locked on her face.

Her eyes flashed, and without thinking about it, she struck him, moving like a cobra, her hiss of displeasure echoing through the forest. He released her, then something happened, something that she had not expected. He moved so fast, all she saw was a blur, then he towered over her, hand drawn back into a tight fist, his eyes hard, angry and bright red with slitted pupils.

She saw a sudden flashback, another man who had towered over her with his fists drawn back, his eyes burning like two live coals embedded in his skull. He had struck her before, when she was young, when she was weak. When she couldn't protect herself.

He swung down, but didn't connect. He managed to stop himself, and she watched, tense, as his eyes flickered back and forth between blue and red. He turned away from her, and got back down on his hands and knees ready to crawl back through the briars.

"Strike me!"

He turned to her, looking confused. "Why?"

She grabbed him by the back of the shirt and hauled him to his feet, and snarled into his face. "You aren't even man enough to strike me? A helpless female?"

He snarled. "Real men don't abuse females."

She smacked him, raising a welt on his face with the flat palm of her hand. "What have you got between your legs?" His eyes were red again. She could care less. "Strike me!"

"No."

"You neutered little son of a bitch! There's nothing there, is there?!" She made a motion like she was jacking off, then her fist exploded in his general direction. She snarled, and strode toward him, her own eyes dark and dangerous. He watched her approach him, his stance tensed and his eyes red. She drew back, and swung forward. He snarled, smacked her wrist out of the way, grabbed her shoulder in a pincer-like hold and drove her to the ground.

He put his knee in the small of her back, pinning her to the cold, hard ground, with her arms twisted behind her back. She whimpered, and feeling him over her, dominant and tense, and so obviously dominant was enough to send her over the edge.

She whimpered, and hid her face. She disappeared, vanishing into silver smoke, leaving no trace of herself behind.

...

Naruto picked up himself up off the ground and ran a hand through his blonde locks as he let out a sigh. He took a look at his surrounding and noticed that the sun was getting lower in the sky.

He looked at the ground where the woman used to lay and grimaced in displeasure, "Aella. I have a feeling that I'll be seeing more of her. And I'm not sure whether or not that's a good thing."

He disappeared in an orange flash and reappeared in front of Freddy's dorm. When he entered the actual room he noticed Frederick on the couch with the biggest smile on his face and in comparison, Naruto had a rather large frown. They locked eyes as they both spoke at the same time.

"You won't believe the day I had. I met this girl..."

Naruto looked at his friend strangely before sighing and sitting down next to him. He made himself comfortable and motioned for Freddy to continue, "You first..."

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**So I'm assuming you know who Frederick is. If you do then you understand why I had him be the one to find/take in Naruto. And I'll give a shout out to whoever can guess who the goddess Naruto meets is. But yeah. I can't take total credit for this amazingness. My friend who was aforementioned did Aella's parts. **

**So review and all that jazz so I can feed my ego or go cry in a corner somewhere dark. Don't be too cruel. **

**P.S. I hope it wasn't too cliche for your likings. I didn't think it was.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Ok guys. Just a warning beforehand. A LOT of stuff happens in this chapter and it jumps around quite a bit. But I think we've made it clear what the hell is going on. Also, this chapter gets pretty heavy and those who have issues with mentions or suggestions of rape probably shouldn't read. Another thing. In my story the god's at least some of them are much darker than what they were in the actual Percy Jackson series. Mostly Zeus and Ares. And the gods have childhood's. They couldn't have all been born full grown. So in that way my gods are more similar to the gods from God of War than Percy Jackson. Another way that they will be similar is that these gods and titans aren't so fucking invincible. Meaning they can be beaten if you have a high enough level of badassness. **

* * *

He thought he recognized her. She was younger, maybe as young as he had been when Kurama had been sealed into his mind. He frowned, and looked at her again. He remembered visiting the museum with Freddie, especially spending time in the Greek exhibits and the clothes of the young girls. She was wearing white with medallions on both shoulders. Twelve or younger.

He peeked out from behind an ornate ionic column draped in ivy, as she played with a bundle of black fur that lapped at her cheeks with a soft pink tongue. She giggled, her amber eyes lighting up as two small paws were placed on her shoulders, so the tiny muzzle could get closer to her face. He stepped forward, smiling childishly, for some reason feeling like he wanted to play.

Suddenly, someone - someone much older than her - bolted across the hall, bronze armour glinting in the sunlight. The man was tall, broad across the shoulders, with short cropped dark hair and chocolate eyes. His mouth was set in a snarl, and he grasped at a short sword on his belt. There was no way he saw her, his eyes facing through an archway, not looking at the floor or his feet.

Aella squealed and scrambled out of the way, holding the little bundle of fur close to her chest. The man looked down on her with scorn evident in his eyes. He stopped in his tracks as the bundle of fur yelped at him and attacked one of his sandals; it seemed to enjoy chewing on the leather straps.

He snarled down at the animal, then turned his eyes on Aella. "What's this? Your little pet?" He stooped and grabbed the scruff of the little animal by his feet, revealing to Naruto a black fox kit with ice-blue eyes.

She wailed. "Put Sinopa down! Put her down!"The fox barked at the soldier, trying to take a swipe at him with tiny needle sharp claws.

The man snarled, "A fox? Really? You chose this scrap of fur to represent you?" He threw the kit to the ground with enough force to put a crack in the marble. It yelped once, then did not stir.

She wailed and ran to it, her eyes running with tears. She cradled the kit in her arms and looked up at the man, her thin arms trying to bring it back. He had pulled a horsewhip from the right side of his belt, uncoiling it in his hands, slowly, deliberately. She trembled and stood as if in a trance. "Artaxias... Please... I don't wanna..."

He snarled. "Toes and fingers. Show me."

She whimpered and left the bundle of fur at her feet. "Artaxias... Big brother... Artaxias..."

The whip cracked over her head and she screamed. He roared. "Don't call me that! Artaxias is gone! I am ARES NOW!" He snapped the whip back and threw his arm forward again. The tail of the whip wrapped around her arm and she screamed. He had cut her to the bone. Her blood sparkled in the dust like gold dust. As he yanked her forward by the arm he snarled, pulling her a few feet forward with every word. "Listen. You are not my sister. No simpering whiney little BITCH like you could be the sister to the God of War." He crouched down and took her chin in his hands. "Darling."

She whimpered. "Yes?"

He struck her hard across the face with his fist. "No man will ever want you. No REAL man. Get your eyes off Alkaios and move on. I'm the only real man who will ever want to..." He caressed the side of her face in a way that made Naruto growl with anger.

Aella nodded in understanding, got up, and ran down the hall. She looked back over her shoulder before disappearing through an archway. The hall went dark, the only thing remaining the eyes of the soldier in bronze armour, which had begun to glow a bright orange. Like two live coals embedded in his skull.

Watching... Watching...

* * *

As Naruto woke, his cerulean eyes slowly opened. He groaned and threw the covers off of his sweat soaked form. With a swing of his legs he sat up on the edge of the bed and cradled his throbbing head in his hands. What the hell kind of dream was that? He couldn't even properly call it a dream. It felt...too real to be a dream. It was more like a memory. But it wasn't a memory that belonged to him. And to go along with the weird dream he felt sick. He never got sick thanks to Kurama, but his whole body felt like it was on fire and his head felt like it was going to split open.

And then it hit him. It was a violent feeling of vertigo and it made his stomach flip suddenly. In an instant Naruto found himself in the bathroom that was adjoined to his bedroom, heaving over his toilet as his late night dinner came rushing back out. This went on for a good two minutes before he had spewed out the last of the vomit. He stood shakily to his knees and made his over to the sink. With a twist, the water was turned on and the blonde started rinse his mouth to get rid of the vile taste. The cold marble of the counter felt great on his burning skin as he slouched down onto it while he brushed his teeth.

After he scrubbed his mouth free of germs Naruto decided it was time to get rid of the sweat that had soaked his clothes and his sheets. He swaggered over to the rather large walk in shower that adorned his bathroom. He dropped his sweatpants and boxers before he stepped into the glass enclosure. He closed the sliding door and sealed it shut. Soon enough the shower head was shooting out a steady stream of hot water. The glass and mirrors in the bathroom were quickly fogged up with steam. Naruto sighed in contentment as the water splashed over his skin. His hands were braced against the wall and his head was turned towards the floor.

His blonde locks slowly became plastered to his skull and he ran a hand through them with another sigh. He loved taking showers. They helped him clear his head and get ready for the day. But now his head was far from clear. He grimaced as a flash from the dream rushed through his mind and he saw the little girl from his dream crying over the poor little fox. He tried to reason in his mind for the dream like Ino had taught him, too. She had said that sometimes dreams, or nightmares in his case, usually had a meaning. They were the mind's subconscious trying to tell you something. But just like the nightmares that he'd had after SHE died, he couldn't find a meaning in this dream. He had never seen the man in his life. However, he did know Aella.

Naruto shook his head free of the image and got on with his shower. He didn't need to worry about it. It was probably something he ate anyway. That would explain his sickness anyway. At least that was how he rationalized it.

After about twenty minutes, Naruto was dressed in pajama pants and a tight white tee-shirt. He sat down at his office desk and started setting his typewriter up. He had finally gotten his hands on one. Like he had predicted, Jiraiya's book had sold quickly and often and now Naruto was living comfortably in a rather large three bedroom apartment that wasn't too far away from Freddie's college dorm. He had turned one bedroom into his office and the other into storage. The master bedroom was furnished nicely with a king sized bed that he only used half of. The comforter was custom made and was black with a large nine tailed fox depicted over a large part of it. His sheets were orange and so were his pillow cases.

He had gotten permission to paint and he had drawn the symbol of the Hidden Leaf on his ceiling. All in all it felt a lot like home. Just noisier.

He took a sip of his coffee and got to work on his next story. The Tale of Naruto Namikaze. It was going to be a multiple book series and honestly Naruto looked forward to writing it. It would be nice to get these stories off his chest. He felt as if they deserved to be shared with someone. So he would start from the beginning. And he would leave nothing out. To the people reading it would be a riveting and heartbreaking tale that would leave them crying tears of sadness and joy. It would make some scream and some cheer. But to him it was an autobiography. His life really happened. The only thing he regretted was knowing that he was the only one who would ever know that fact.

* * *

The walls and ceiling were black stone. The floor was red carpet. A woman in a black chiton lounged on velvet upholstery that had seen some wear, but otherwise looked fine. The room was dark, naturally, lit only by a few candles that burned bright green. The sounds that filtered through the open window were screams of desperation and cries of eternal torment.

Easily tuned out.

She was reading. The candles flickered, but other than that, all was still. There was no wind or unusual sound that disturbed her, as a page turned, gold eyes scanning the last paragraph of the book skeptically. The main character she didn't like, the plot had holes she found to be filled with secrets, and the whole concept unsettled her. A complicated childhood, a tortured adolescence all leading up to a lonely existence. SO ORIGINAL. She turned another page, and sighed, glad it was almost over. She was sure it would entertain the minds of teenage girls with nothing better to do than cry and eat ice cream and complain about their lowly little lives.

Mortals. Disgusting.

Last paragraph, thank the gods.

"The war destroyed him. Destroyed his friendship, his trust, his happiness. But he continued on. An existence that leaves much to be desired, surrounded by ghosts of his past at every step his takes; the only girl he ever loved, his brother, his family - all lost to the war - and every battle was made personal. Not just a war between nations but a war for control and a war for protection and a war for discovery..."

"Oh stop repeating yourself and get the point!" she murmured under her breath.

"But the war made him who he is. And he is strong. And that's all that mattered in the end, right?"

The book snapped shut and was tossed into the middle of the room. She got up, the black fabric silken and contrasting her alabaster white skin. A bookshelf rose out of the gloom, and her hands scanned the shelves, searching for the other books in the series. Her eyes flared when she found them, and she tossed them into the center of the room with the last one, her frayed nerves getting ready to split. The author made everything so damn personal. Jiraiya Kazama. The name filled her mouth with poison and her eyes with tears. Never in her life had she wanted so badly to throttle someone and hug them at the same time.

She scooped the books into her arms and walked stately down the stairs, past the throne room of the grand castle below. Her uncle called to her from the throne of onyx with the finger-bone lattice.

"Aella? What brings you down here?"

"An errand." She answered vaguely, really not wanting to talk to him. Nosey little bugger.

A dark shadow of a man appeared in front of her, blocking her way through the front doors. She tried to check her way past him, shoving at him hard with her shoulder. "Move." She snarled, eyes flashing. When he didn't, she smiled, and added, "Please." Still, there was no movement from the God of the Dead.

"What errand, Aella?"

She smiled. "The one that doesn't involve you sticking your long hooked nose into my business. Scram!"

"Don't take that tone with me, young lady."

She stuck her tongue out at him in response. "Don't take that tone with me, old man." She mimicked cruelly.

He frowned and stepped aside as she skipped through the jewel gardens, no plant growing in the Underworld, all the way to the River Lethe, the Second of the Black Rivers, the River of Forgetfulness. Page by page, she tossed all six lengthy books into the Lethe, the tears starting to come as she remembered all of Naruto's pain, of his grief and loneliness.

Everything that made them alike. They're childhood of segregation and torment - they're adolescence of training and being lied to and pain - and finally an adulthood of sorrow and anguish. And the fox... She shivered when she thought of the fox. What they called chakra, she called dÿnamī, and the fox had such a dominant strength that her training began to kick in.

The training her brother had given her, those millennium ago...

She shivered, falling to her knees in the gravel as fire burned in her belly and her muscles clenched. She hated this feeling. It made her feel dirty and used. But she was. The tears began to fall, staining the gravel with glittering gold liquid. Her own war had made her who she was. She was beaten on the inside. And that all that mattered in the end, right?

* * *

Naruto smiled as he drove through the streets of downtown San Francisco. He was cruising in his red 1992 Chevy Corvette C4. He had only been able to legally drive for a short time but he could honestly say that it was one of his favorite things to do. It gave him a sense of freedom and peace. He even knew how to fix it if it was broken. Or at least in theory. He had one of his clones on full time reading duty. And pretty much all he ever read were mechanic books and instructional booklets. He was even considering going to special classes so he could work on cars. The things fascinated him. Planes, tanks, and guns were other hobbies of his. At least he liked to read about them. But that wasn't the highlight of his day. He was finally gonna get to meet this girl that Freddie was always talking about.

They were meeting up at some bookstore called Barnes and Noble. Apparently it sold coffee as well. Naruto practically ran on coffee so of course he didn't object to the rendezvous. Soon enough he was pulling into a parking spot and he exited his beloved vehicle. It was mid July and it was plenty hot outside.

He walked into the store and inhaled deeply before smiling. He loved that smell. The smell of paper and coffee. It was what his office smelled like. He saw his books on one of the first shelves in the store, in the bestseller section. That fact made his chest swell with pride. He must be a pretty good writer. Only Freddie knew that he was the one who wrote the books.

He heard a shout and turned to the coffee shop part of the establishment. He saw Freddie sitting with a rather good looking blonde woman. Damn. Freddie must have some secret skills if he'd been able to snag her. He himself couldn't even get a girlfriend. Not that he'd been actively looking for one, but still. You'd think that some girl would at least talk to him. Maybe his rugged hotness didn't affect California girls? Damn you, other blonde haired blue eyed surfer dudes! Those guys were cramping his style. But he thought he was dressed pretty good today. His was wearing a white polo shirt with black slacks and black Vans. He pulled it off.

He walked over to their table and slipped into a chair. He grinned and turned to Freddie, who was dressed similarly to himself with a white dress shirt and black slacks, "Sup, buddy? You mind introducing me to the pretty lady?"

Freddie, for his part just chuckled good naturedly and smiled at the woman, "Well, this is Akila." The now named woman waved with a smile to which Naruto responded with one of his own. Freddie continued and patted his blonde best friend on the shoulder, "And Akila, this guy right here is Naruto."

Akila eeped and her eyebrows rose with surprise, "Naruto? Your name is Naruto?"

The blonde in question tilted his head in confusion before nodding, "Is that a...problem?" He didn't understand why she would make a big deal about his name. It wasn't common but then again neither was hers.

She shook her head quickly before reaching into her purse, "Of course not. It's just that the main character's name, in this book series I've been reading, is Naruto." With that said she pulled out the sixth and final book in the series that he wrote, which in turn cause Freddie and Naruto to stiffen for a moment.

But in true Naruto fashion he played it off by starting a conversation about said book, "Oh really? Well that's quite the coincidence. Is it any good?"

She nodded her head violently, "It is very well written. At first glance the emotional plotline seems very cliché but the whole concept is very original and quite thought out. I've shed quite a few tears over this series. The author gets you invested in so many characters and then they die. It's very brutal."

Naruto let one of his eyebrows rise, "Brutal?"

"Yes. The whole concept of the shinobi is brutal in and of itself. They are trained from a young age to fight and kill for their village. It's very controversial but its portrayed in a way that makes it acceptable," Akila explained, "And this war, that he is in, is very emotional. It's not like other books. It's as if the author was actually there. It describes the emotional distress of having to fight your dead teachers, lovers, and family in extreme detail."

Naruto looked at her strangely. She said that as if she knew the feeling. Then his eyes narrowed. He was getting that same feeling from this woman that he did from Aella. The feeling that she was holding something back. And then he noticed her eyes. Her irises were gray but they seemed to be shifting, like clouds in a storm. They weren't natural. And he was gonna call her on it.

"You have the most...peculiar eyes, Akila," Naruto stated in a curious tone. Said eyes widened in major surprise and she didn't respond. But Freddie did.

Freddie turned to his friend in confusion, "What do you mean Naruto? They're blue just like yours." He was beginning to think his friend was crazy. He was looking at Akila and her eyes were most definitely blue.

Now it was Naruto's turn to be confused, "Um. No, they aren't. They are gray. Can't you see?" This was getting weird. Either Freddie was fucking with him or he really couldn't see them.

"Naruto, are you feeling okay? I know you haven't been getting rest because of these dreams you've been having. Maybe you should go see a doctor or something," Freddie suggested with concern for his friend. Naruto was about to respond when suddenly his head started throbbing violently. He felt a pressure in the back of his mind. That was the feeling he got when someone was trying to cast a genjutsu on him. And those didn't work because he was so in tune with Kurama. So that meant someone was trying to put him under an illusion. His eyes narrowed and the pain became more intense as his eyes started to flicker between red and blue. He groaned and cradled his head in his hands.

Freddie and got up from his chair and shook Naruto's shoulder, "You okay, buddy? Do you need me to take you to the hospital?"

Naruto groaned again and just waved him off, "No. I think I'll...I think I'll just go home and rest. I've been running on fumes for a few days now." He stood up slowly and looked at Akila. "I'm sorry. I'm not feeling well. Perhaps we can meet again some other time."

Akila didn't respond right away. Her GRAY eyes seemed to be searching his form for something that wasn't there. Finally she nodded and spoke quietly, "Yes. I think that would be better. I hope you feel better."

Naruto nodded and made his way back to his car.

He entered his apartment sometime later and he could honestly say that maybe he did need to go to the hospital. His headache did not get better when he left. In fact it had gotten much, much, worse. And his body felt like it was on fire, again for the second time in two months. He stumbled into his bedroom and turned the thermostat down to the lowest setting before pulling off his clothes and climbing into bed. He was asleep almost as soon as his throbbing head hit the pillow.

* * *

He watched her from a distance, her dark hair held back in a fishtail braid, her eyes flashing happily. She ran through the halls, laughing, as she was chased by a white bloodhound with red eyes. It wasn't hers, as it had a leather collar around its neck with a tag in the shape of a sickle. She laughed when it caught up with her, and patted it head with long, slim fingers. It ran off, leaving her outside in a garden filled with calla lilies in all the colours of the rainbow. She seemed particularly attached to a bed of blue ones, so dark they were nearly black. Aella knelt in the garden, pulling her chiton up to her knees so it didn't get dirty. He noticed it wasn't quite white anymore, but closer to blue, a pastel colour that made her amber eyes stand out vividly.

He walked forward, and knelt next to her, touching her arm. She looked up and around, confused by his touch. She brushed her arm with her fingers, as if trying to get rid of cobwebs clinging to her skin. A young boy with black hair and black eyes trotted up behind her, and poked her shoulder with a giggle. Naruto noticed with curiosity that the little boy had black feathered wings folded neatly against his back; the feathers angled in a similar fashion to a raven's. She smiled, and turned to him, brushing her hands clean before stooping down to his level to hug him. The white bloodhound came trotting up behind the little boy, and eyed Aella with contempt.

Aella whipped her head up at the clink of bronze on bronze. The armoured man stood around a corner in the garden, smiling at her with hunger in his eyes. Naruto snarled.

She pushed the little boy away from her as the armoured man began his approach. "Run Than!"

He looked confused, "But... It's just Uncle Ares... I..."

She put him on the back of the bloodhound, her eyes tearing. "Just go... I... You don't have to watch this..."

Ares grabbed her. She fought back, slapping the hindquarters of the bloodhound into motion, as the white dog took off, the boy named Than clutching to its scruff, watching his aunt disappear from his sight.

Naruto still crouched in the calla lilies, but the dream had stolen his movements from him. He was stuck here, in the mountain top garden, watching her.

Ares caressed the side of her face, his eyes orange and full of lust. Aella whispered, "If Dad finds out, he'll kill you..."

Ares laughed, and lowered his face to hers, pinning her against a trellis so she couldn't lean away. "Dad is married to his sister - and how many children so they have?" He fingered her chiton, seeming to marvel at the loss of the white colour. "You've ripened. You've flowered."

She snarled at him, her eyes turning red around the edges. "Get away from me Artaxias."

Ares snarled, raising a fist to intimidate her into doing his will. "How many times have I told you not to call me that darling?" He widened his stance, preparing to deliver a blow.

Naruto snarled under his breath, eyes narrowing. "Kick him. Kick him wear it counts..." She snarled and lowered her center of gravity, and he encouraged her from the sidelines. "Now! Do it now!"

Her hands balled and somehow she got between his breastplate and his helm, delivering a blow to his chin that sent him reeling. She ran, and Naruto felt himself pulled along as if attached to her by an invisible rope that had been tied around his waist. Somehow, she was fast enough to duck behind a fountain half the garden away, angling her body so she matched the statuette that she had pressed her back against. Her eyes were bright red, and she was shaking with either rage or fear.

The man called from across the garden, his voice floating on the wind like a feather. "You can run, sweet cheeks, but you can't hide..."

"Sweet cheeks?" she snarled to herself. Her nose wrinkled and she stepped out from behind the statuette, her hands clenched into fists. "Don't call me that!"

He was right there, in her face, leering down at her with murderous intent. "Let's try this again, shall we?" He grabbed her by the throat, lifting her into the air as she struggled. She tried to swing at him, kick at him, but he held her far from his body so she could do little but place a glancing blow to his forearm. Naruto watched as her face began to turn red, and her struggles became weak. Ares whispered in her ear, as she gasped for breath. "This form is still mortal, Aella. It would be a shame for you to have an 'accident'."

Aella managed to gasp out. "Fuck... you..."

He smirked softly, "Gladly. " He grabbed her chiton with his other hand and tore it away, smiling as she screamed raggedly. He threw her to the ground and pinned her, fumbling with something laced beneath his armour. "You beautiful little bitch..."

She screamed for her father. She screamed for her mother. She screamed for someone, somewhere to help her.

He flipped her onto her belly, pushing her face into the dirt. She was instantly muffled, pinned down and unable to move. He managed to grunt through his clenched teeth, bent over her. "I've got a little present for you..."

A second before it happened, Naruto somehow managed to close his eyes and turn his face away. But just because he couldn't see it, didn't mean it didn't happen. She screamed like a banshee, losing her sanity as he tore through her, howling his success like the dog he was. She screamed and screamed until he was finished with her, then left her in the garden as night fell, abandoned like a battlefield corpse. Her screams still lingered as the garden turned dark, haunting screams that stuck in Naruto's ears. She lay trembling among her calla lilies, eyes terrified and ashamed. They locked eyes, blue to amber, in a cry for help. He stepped forward, his jacket held out to her, but before he could get there, the dream went black.

* * *

The blonde awoke with a growl and his nails grew into claws as he launched out of bed and gave into his desire to tear into something. The wall beside his bed was the unfortunate victim as his claws ripped through the drywall in four neat rows. He brought his left hand down against the wall and repeated the mark except it was diagonally opposite. He clenched his fists tightly, hard enough to break the skin, and blood dripped from his hands as he struggled to control himself.

He had to remind himself that it was just a dream and he slowly began to calm down. His nails retreated back to their normal size and the puncture wounds they created in his palms started to close up rapidly. As his head cleared and his eyes returned to their normal shade, he sighed and slumped against the wall. What was up with him and dreaming about Aella? And why were they always so horrible? He shook his head slowly as his headache came back full force. But this time it was more of a migraine.

The pain intensified when he tried to think back on the dream. He noticed, for the first time, something strange. When he thought back on them he could barely understand what they were saying. They weren't speaking English but when he was dreaming he could understand them perfectly. It made his head hurt. Literally.

He sighed and made his way to the bathroom. Maybe a shower would make his head hurt less.

After he had taken a shower he had gone searching through the city to find a liquor store that sold sake. It was Saturday and Saturday was his get drunk and reminisce day. Ah. Finally. He spotted one and it he grinned as he parked and walked into the store. A few minutes later he walked out with a couple boxes of high quality sake. Now to get to his favorite spot. He drove home, parked, made a few clones to carry the cases and then he and his clones disappeared in an orange flash. The group of doppelgangers appeared at the top of one of the towers on the Golden Gate Bridge. The clones set down the alcohol, which somehow didn't fall off even in the high winds. They dispersed and Naruto completely cut off Kurama's chakra from his system so he could actually get drunk. He then began drinking and reminiscing.

Two hours or so and a few cases of sake later, Naruto was sufficiently drunk. But only drunk enough so that all the things that he had purposefully repressed came back to the forefront of his mind. Old friends and teachers being amongst the most common ones. He missed Kiba and Lee. Those two were some of his closest friends back in the village. At least the ones that were still alive. Well, he assumed they were still alive. He hadn't been gone long enough for them to have died of old age. At last he thought so, maybe time moved differently in this place. He also missed Konohamaru and his crew. He sincerely hoped that he was still alive and that he had made his move with Hanabi. He didn't need to make the same mistake that Naruto had when it came to that family.

But really, the person that he missed the most was Tsunade. After 'SHE' was killed, Tsunade was the only one there who was really able to comfort him. After the war ended and he killed Sasuke he had spent a lot of his time with the old hag. They became close. He stopped calling her Granny Tsunade and, much to her secret delight, started calling her Mom. He really missed her company. They usually couldn't stand each other but right now. He could honestly say that he missed his momma. He took another swig of his sake and looked into the sunset. He tried to smile but it quickly dipped into a frown as tears formed at the rim of his eyes and slowly began their journey down his face.

* * *

Somewhere else in a different world, a certain busty blonde Hokage was sitting on her own stone head as she looked into the sunset. She was shakily drinking her sake as tears rolled down her cheeks. She heard someone land behind her and she didn't even turn around.

"Have you found anything new, Neji?"

Said Hyūga stiffened before nodding, "Actually yes. It appears that he was working on some kind of seal. I don't understand them but it looked similar to the one on this kunai." He threw a tri-pronged kunai to his leader and she caught it by the handle before studying it closely.

She chuckled once before growling, "That stupid brat. Why was he messing with this seal? I forbid him from doing so until he fully understood how it worked."

Neji tilted his head before asking dumbly, "What exactly is it?"

Tsunade chucked the kunai back to Neji, "That is the Flying Thunder God seal marker, Neji. It was the jutsu that allowed the Fourth to defeat Iwa in almost a single battle. It allows the user to teleport instantly to the place where that kunai is. Naruto wanted to be able to do it without the kunai. And he succeeded. But it wasn't perfect so he wanted to tweak the seal."

Neji was a smart guy and he put the dots together, "And you think that his tampering with the seal was what caused him to disappear?"

"That is exactly what I think," Tsunade stated, "Send out the messages through the villages. The deserve to know."

"Know what exactly?"

"That Naruto is Missing in Action. Probably gone forever."

"Why not tell them that he is dead?"

Tsunade chuckled and her tears flowed anew, "Because heroes like him never die. Never. Besides. He told himself that he was supposed to be martyr anyway."

Neji just nodded and disappeared into the night.

* * *

Back at the bridge Naruto had finally ran out of sake and he was beginning to nod off. He knew that he should probably get back to his house but the red steel was actually feeling pretty comfortable. He wiped the tears from his eyes and then they closed. Normally this wouldn't be a problem. But he hadn't unlocked Kurama's chakra. So as the air and wind grew colder, so did his body. Because he was remarkably more human without the fox.

* * *

Aella approached a tall man with silver hair and a long beard. She fell into step beside the man, and whispered, "Daddy?"

He turned to look down on his daughter. "Aella. I'm busy, can you make it quick?"

"Ares hurt me. In the gardens. He pinned me down and…" She broke off, tears in her eyes.

Her father frowned. "Did he leave bruises?" She nodded. "Let me see." her father growled, and she showed him her hips, her throat and her elbows, purple and blue with bruises. Her father's eyes widened as he shook his head sadly. "My darling… I'm so glad he didn't hurt you further." She looked away, ashamed, as her brother walked into the room, casting bronze flashes all over the place. Her father clapped the younger man on the shoulder, and started laughing. "I couldn't have done better, m'boy!"

Aella looked up, confused. "You-you're proud of him?"

His eyes flashed like lightning, the glow remaining after the initial strike. "Why wouldn't I be? He's following in his father's footsteps - taking his sister for his own - making her feel small, showing her who is the man in their relationship."

"We don't have a relationship! I'm too young!"

"You do now, Aella - and stop crying about it. It was meant to be this way."

Aella shook her head, taking great shuddering breaths. "You're lying! It's not okay for him to hurt me! It's not okay!"

Her father snarled. "Stop this instant, Aella. Or do I have to call your mother?"

Aella trembled in her sandals, and shook her head no. "P-pl-please… Not Mother…"

"Then stop crying. Your nose is running like a fountain. Get out of my sight."

She inhaled sharply. "You're supposed to help me!"

Her father rounded on her, a bolt of lightning forming in his palm in a threat. "You're talking to your King, Aella."

She ran, fleeing from his sight, and out into the gardens, fleeing well beyond the boundaries she normally would, tears streaming off her face and onto the ground. She came to a rest at the entrance to the top of the mountain, looking behind her as she ran; convinced her brother was following her. But suddenly, she ran face first into a wall of black bricks. Someone caught her by the arm, and she screamed, wrenching free. "Don't touch me! I don't wanna! Go away!"

The man in black recoiled. "Aella. It's just me." His voice was dark and eerie, and if Naruto listened closely, he could hear an echo as if someone else repeated the man. He knelt down to Aella, and narrowed his eyes. "Who touched you, Aella? I'll rip his hands off." He gently touched her throat, and she recoiled from him.

"You're cold…"

Naruto agreed with her. Since he first sensed the presence of the man, there was something irrationally wrong with him. He smelt of mildew and rotting things and his movement mimicked either a burial shroud falling over a body, or the strange, jerky movements of something strange one would find under a rock. His clothes were tattered, and the helm on his head made both the leaf shinobi and the pale girl recoil with terror. There was something in those dark eyes that pulled forward the childhood memories of the monsters under the bed and the eyes in the closet.

He touched Aella again and she recoiled. She whispered to him, "Daddy was going to hit me. But Artaxias…"

"Ares." he corrected gently.

"Ares… he…" She broke down into tears. "He…"

The man gathered her into her arms and rubbed her back, her tears staining his dark robes silver with salt.

The day and scenery abruptly changed. She was watching her father talk to the man in dark clothes. She was hidden behind a column, her eyes glowing in the dark.

"You cannot condone that kind of behavior Zeus! She's only fourteen by human standards! And he raped her!" The man with dark clothes was defending her. She smiled softly, her eyes hopeful.

Her father snarled. "I can and I will. She needs to learn."

"Learn what? You rotten son of a bitch! That she's a worthless piece of shit with three holes and that's all she's good for? No child deserves that!"

A voice behind Aella whispered. "Oh, but you do." She spun, eyes flashing. A piece of rough cloth was pressed against her nose and mouth. She struggled, but soon enough her eyes rolled back into her head and she collapsed into his arms. She didn't even get a chance to scream.

* * *

Aella roared, tearing at the silk that surrounded her, her body morphing into something that was decidedly not human. She tore out of her bedroom, eyes flashing from amber to red to ice blue, as her arms elongated and she dropped to all fours, nose elongating and ear turning into sharp, angled points. She jumped from the banister at the top of a flight of stairs to the bottom step before rounding on the stairs, backing away from them on four feet, her bushy tail stuck between her legs, but otherwise angry, aggressive, and ready to fight, her teeth sharp and begging to be stained by blood.

There was a noise behind her, a drag of fabric on the slick marble floors and she reacted on adrenaline, her maw open wide and claws out. She attacked the dark shadow of a man, pushing him to the ground with a resounding rumble that was most definitely felt in the city above,tearing at his shoulder as he roared with fury and pain, until gold blood trickled to the floor and made her fur glitter in the light from the torches.

A staff of onyx came swinging at her head, and she ducked, snarling. When it came at her again, didn't move, but disappeared in a puff of silver smoke then reappeared standing a few feet away from her uncle, her animalistic form gone. She still growled however, still crouched close to the ground, her eyes red and angry, but also scared.

The God of the Dead stood, rolling his shoulders angrily. He frowned down at her, his eyes, which were normally green, had turned pitch black. She cowered, getting so low to the ground her belly brushed the floor. He took a deep breath, looking down on his niece with fires of rage flickering behind his gaze. "Get out of my sight, Aella."

"I... I didn't mean-"

His features turned demonic, and he snarled with a low, monster-like timbre to his voice. "Don't make me tell you twice."

She fled out into Asphodel, until she was back by the banks of the Lethe, shaking. Although, it was kind of hard to tell whether she was shaking, or the ground was, as it vibrated so furiously in accordance with her uncle's rage. She curled up into a ball, thinking deeply. There was a little voice that twittered in the back of her head, trying to get her attention. She pushed it away more than once, but it kept coming back, nagging away at the base of her skull.

She gasped as her vision was taken from her, and she got still-frame flashes. The Golden Gate Bridge. Bottles of liquor. The bridge rocking fascinatingly in the high winds and the minor earthquake. A bundle of clothes curled up on one of the towers, perilously close to the edge, a man with a bottle clutched in his hands. The flashes zoomed in on his face, taking sport shots as he rolled over. The blonde from the coffee shop, his eyes closed. He was shivering.

He rolled for the edge again, the bottle falling from his hands and down to the highway below. And he kept rolling. She vanished in a puff of silver smoke, heading for the Golden Gate Bridge, praying he wouldn't fall.

She grabbed him by the back of the shirt and hauled him back onto the bright orange iron, shaking herself. There was a split second of terror as his eyelids fluttered and she recoiled, hiding from him behind a decorative spire. He groaned, and curled into a fetal position, "Tsunade..." He whimpered, "Mom..." Aella felt her eyes narrow, peeking out from her hiding spot. He coughed, and shivered again, his skin pale and ashen. She reached out for the sense of animal power that ran through him - and found nothing. Not even a thread that connected the two. She frowned, and knelt next to him, gently touching his arm. He was stone cold, and brushed her hand away, shivering. She snarled, as the wind picked up again, whipping her hair around her face. It felt like it was about forty degrees. She touched his temple and closed her eyes, searching for his address. Not to be creepy or anything, but he was only mortal.

They had this weird body regulating temperature in case they got too cold. And in his case, he needed to get inside. She smiled, took his hand and the pair of them vanished, leaving the bottles behind. They reappeared in a three-bedroom apartment that had been painted in in neutral, clean colours.

He was wasted. She could smell it on him, and he really needed to bathe. He smiled, and hugged her tightly, and she pushed him away. He fell down and she looked on him with disgust. Ambrosia and nectar never made her act like that.

He blinked awake, and she became a little white fox, curled up beneath his desk. He groaned, looking around, his eyes groggy and lined with veins. He stumbled through several doors and she followed him on four paws, watching as he collapsed into a bed with black and orange covers. She jumped up onto his back and he laughed into his pillow. Her tail swished back and forth, and she rolled her eyes. She pranced up to his head and licked his cheek. He pushed her off the bed and she fell to the ground with a yelp. She snarled, returning to her mortal form, "Well, screw you too."

He was out cold. There was no way she was going to get a response.

She shoved him once, then twice for good measure. "Idiot." She walked out of the room, snapped her fingers, leaving him clean and undressed with his clothes folded neatly at the foot of the bed.

He rolled over, and whimpered. "Aella..."

She froze, and turned to face him. "What do you need?"

"A hug..."

"No you don't."

"Please?"

"No."

He whimpered. "Don't be mean."

She sighed and returned to his bedside, trying desperately not to think that most of his clothes were already off. She hugged him gently, his arms wrapping around her too. She left abruptly, unaware she had left her scent in every room she had been in and on everything she had touched.

* * *

Naruto woke up slowly and instantly regretted the action. The hangover he hadn't been expecting was in full swing and his head was pounding. He groaned and reached within himself to start releasing Kurama's chakra back into his system. The blonde felt better immediately as his body was filled with warmth and the headache all but disappeared. He grinned and patted his stomach, "You know Kurama. You're an asshole but I sure do love you, buddy."

He could almost hear the fox cursing his name with less than acceptable language. He chuckled and got up from his bed. That's when things started getting weird. First off, he was naked. That was always bad but he was in his apartment, so it was okay. But that was the second problem. He distinctly remembered that in his drunken haze, he had fallen asleep on the bridge. So how in Sam's Hell did he get back in his house? He growled in annoyance. His ninja skills were failing without anything to sharpen them on. Even if he was drunk he should have been able to notice something touching him. And it had to be a something. What human could have found him up there?

He shook his head and proceeded to grab his clothes. He put on some blue jeans, a white tee-shirt, and an orange hoodie. It wasn't cold outside at all but he was going to Freddie's house and that man obviously liked his apartment just above freezing. You know, just in case his guests ever got a little bit warm.

He put on some coffee and waited patiently. As soon as it was ready, Naruto poured himself a cup and fixed it up just the way he liked it. He took a big whiff and...frowned. The coffee smelled great. But his apartment did not. There was someone else's scent in his house. And it was quite familiar because the persons younger self had been haunting his dreams for the better portion of a year. Aella. That woman had been all over his house, touching his stuff. Normally he wouldn't care but he had some pretty incriminating stuff in his apartment. His office for one, had all his drafts and copies of his books. That wasn't fan material and it would be quite obvious. And his storage room also had quite the variety of ninja tools, such as kunai and shuriken. He couldn't just explain that away as home defense. GRRR! Why was that woman so infuriating and so interesting at the same time? He couldn't decide whether he wanted to choke her or sit down and chat for a while.

"Ah, fuck it," Naruto said in exasperation. He grabbed his keys and cup of coffee before heading out of his front door. She was nowhere around so he couldn't do either of those things. Maybe he could talk to Freddie about it.

It was about fifteen minutes later that Naruto found himself picking Freddie's door open. He honestly didn't know why his friend kept changing the locks. He didn't need a key anyway. Click. Ah, there it was. Naruto picked his rather large cup of coffee back up and silently moved into Freddies hallway. He could hear voices coming from the living room. He crept up to the doorway and leaned against the frame before taking another sip of his coffee. Freddie was sitting in a Ottoman chair across from Akila, who was sitting on the couch, and they appeared to be arguing rather heatedly about something. And they didn't seem to notice Naruto standing there. So why would he interrupt? That would be rude.

"Frederick Chase don't you DARE make me explain this again!"

"Akila, they're the same! Both are narrow-bladed weapons with ornate pommels!"

"Rapiers and épées are NOT the same." She stood and turned away, her grey eyes dark and rolling like storm clouds. She turned back to Freddie and put on a pouty face that made him sigh and go over to her, gently touching her shoulder.

"Don't be like that..."

"They're still different." She turned up her nose and crossed her arms. "You're impossible."

Freddie smiled and wrapped his arms around her teasingly. He chuckled, "I know." His voice got soft, and Akila looked suddenly uncomfortable as they got very close, physically. He whispered in her ear. "They're the same..."

She elbowed him back to the Ottoman, laughing. "They are not and you know it. A rapier is a blade with a rectangular base and two sharpened edges. An épée is a blade with a square base, four slightly sharpened edges and a blunted tip. Rapiers can and will draw blood. Épées are used in their place in stage productions because you're pretty hard pressed to draw blood with an épée."

Freddie was sitting in his ottoman, leaned back with his head supported by one hand, the other hand had all four fingers and the thumb pressed together, mimicking a mouth as it blabbed on pointlessly. She saw this and her eyes narrowed. He grinned softly. "They're the same."

She frowned and grabbed a long-stemmed flower from an artificial bouquet and extended it in front of her, her feet making a perfect 'L' as her arm arched behind and over her head for balance. "En garde, vous petit garçon!"

He grabbed another and mimicked her stance with some initial balance issues, but soon the two were locked in a duel, Akila shouting out her attacks as she went, throwing Freddie off his game.

"Croisé! Lunge! Riposte! Coquille! Remise!"

Freddie reached out with his other arm and grabbed her waist, laughing as he drew her close to him, trapping their 'blades' between their bodies. She screamed, pounding on his shoulder with frustration, her eyes playful. "Corps-à-corps! Let me go!"

Freddie smirked and kissed her, unexpectedly. She flushed bright red, casting her grey eyes away.

Naruto snickered softly, still sipping on his coffee.

She muttered under her breath, something about an appointment, and left in an unexplained hurry, gathering her things and nearly bolting from the apartment, her face he colour of a boiled lobster.

Naruto chuckled and sat down on on the arm of Freddie's Ottoman and picked up Akila's abandoned flower stem. He smacked Freddie on the arm with it then looked at him seriously, "Do I get a kiss, too, now Freddie?"

Freddie blushed but planted his palm in the blonde's face and shoved him off the chair, "Shut up, Naruto."

"Ah, don't be like that Fredward," Naruto replied cheekily with a pout on his face.

Freddie groaned, "How the hell do you do you keep getting in my house?" Seriously. It was getting ridiculous.

"Where in the hell do you keep getting the money to buy new locks for me to pick?" Naruto retorted with a smirk.

Freddie grinned. He enjoyed their banter, "Well, it's not my fault you're a criminal."

"Hey! I take offense to that. I'm a ninja. There is a difference," Naruto responded indignantly.

Freddie just laughed before he got serious, "In all seriousness, Naruto. What brings you here today? You usually don't stop by for no reason."

Naruto sighed before sitting down on the couch. His face was grim and a little sad, "Well, it's about that girl I told you about."

Freddie's face changed a little bit. It became more serious than just a guy talking to his friend. It was something deeper than that. He whistled, "The same one from the coffee shop?"

"Yep."

"Well, what eating you about her?"

Naruto thought for a second. He couldn't just say that he was having dreams about her that involved the Greek gods. That was a little much even for him. He hadn't even told his friend about the WHOLE coffee shop incident. Only the first part.

So he decided to tweak the situation a bit. It would still provide for almost the same conversation. He looked at Freddie and rubbed his eyes, "Well for one I can't stop thinking about her. Hell, I even dream about her?"

"Wow. That sounds serious. Do you like her?"

Naruto nodded but then he shook his head, "Yes? No? I don't know. I've hardly talked to the girl."

He thought back to how he mysteriously appeared in his house and how her scent was everywhere inside of it, "I mean, I've seen her around and we keep running into each other but when we do she hardly talks to me. But she makes it seem like she is interested."

Freddie scratched his chin, "You say you can't stop thinking about her?"

He got a nod.

"And you think that she seems interested in you?"

Another nod.

"Well, why don't you ask her out?"

Naruto sighed in exasperation, "I never get the chance! She is always disappearing to one place or another. I literally haven't talked to her for more than five minutes."

Freddie chuckled, "Well, you know, Christmas and New Years are just around the corner. Some buddies that I know from college are throwing a party for New Years. If you come then maybe she'll be there."

"Freeeedddiieeeee," Naruto groaned.

"Seriously Naruto, you need to get out of that office. A party would do you good. Just think about it. And if you see the girl again, ask if she wants to go. It couldn't hurt," Freddie stated.

Naruto rolled it over in his head. On one hand, a party would be nice. On the other hand, Aella might not show up again and he wouldn't be able to talk to her. Oh, well. This seemed like one of those things that you couldn't force.

"Fine. I'll think about it," With that said Naruto got up and stretched.

Freddie nodded, "Good. Now get your blonde ass out of my house."

"Love you, too, Freddie."

* * *

He had told her that her training was complete. Ares was no longer her big brother, but the master of her desires, introducing her to diverse and twisted fetishes. He indulged himself too often, and his slave had decided to rebel. She was tired of being twisted into pretzels, told she could only melt into ecstasy when told, when her master was dominant and particularly male, tired of being tied and cut into, indulging in a fetish she particularly hated, where he sliced through her thin mortal skin to lap at the blood that flowed from the wound.

Bloodplay. Lovely little thing.

And the way she was going to get out of here. He left the knife last time he was here, and it was now concealed beneath the dozens of lavish pillows she lounged in, smiling prettily as the door opened and he entered, flustered.

"On your knees."

She obeyed, the knife concealed in her hands. Which were clasped tightly behind her back like the little submissive bitch she was. When told to start using her hands, she inhaled sharply, and slashed violently with the knife bared in her left hand. His blood was salty and filled her nostrils with a metallic scent.

He struck her, sending the knife skittering across the room as he gruffly pawed at her barely matured curves. "Lay down Aella and maybe it won't hurt so much." The concept of pain and domination made her melt and she whimpered, clutching as his forearm, for which she was rewarded with by a fist that broke her cheekbone. "Who said you could, you little whore? Get on your knees!"

She stood defiantly. "No."

She thought she saw fear swim in his eyes. "Now!"

"NO!"

* * *

Aella started out of the dream, her eyes blood red in anticipation. She sighed, and sat up, frowning in disappointment. She wanted to castrate him with her teeth again. Bastard. Take away her innocence and then train his own little sister to be his own little sex toy.

Her demonstration of brutality had allowed her godly form to come through, a fox-like, demonic creature with ice blue eyes. She smiled, remembering her trial, then the decision on where she would live. She was too dark for Olympus, so her uncle adopted her, and now she lived beneath the ground, dwelling in the lovely, beautiful Underworld.

She stretched, and inhaled deeply, then frowned. There was a visitor. A visitor who travelled in a chariot decorated with roses and pulled by sparkly pink pegasi. Ew... She dressed quickly and quietly in simple clothes before creeping down the stairs, praying that her uncle wouldn't hear her. The throne room doors were open, and he sat high and mighty, staring impatiently down at a perfect specimen of a woman, who was dressed like a Playboy bunny.

Aella caught her uncle's eye, waving frantically. She mouthed to him, her eyes desperate. "Don't make me talk to her!" She mimed furiously, acting out her silent plea for his silence. He arched an eyebrow, nearly unnoticeable, but Aella sighed and went down on her knees, her hands clasped in front of her, begging.

The corner of his mouth twitched and he waved her away with his eyes, a small smirk decorating his face.

She ran out the front doors and disappeared, heading for one of her favorite places in ol'Frisco. The zoo. And the display of Grey Foxes. She circumvented the main gates smiling at a security guard who looked at her suspiciously. She waited until he passed her before focusing her dÿnamī on him and he started to speak Klingon to all the guests, who weren't sure of they were being mocked or if his meds had worn off.

She wound her way through the exhibits until she sat on the edge of the fox exhibit, watching them play and frolic without a care in the world. She smiled, and waited until there was no one else around before starting up a conversation with them, barks, yelps and cries that, to the casual observer, came from the foxes, not from the woman that was leaning over the railing with a smile on her face and good nature in her eyes.

"Aella! Aella! You came back!" The foxes gathered below her yipping happily, tails swishing through the light morning fog. "Did you bring treats?" The chant started up, clamoring from many muzzles. "Treats! Treats! We want treats!"

She laughed, looking around to make sure no one was watching, before tossing two handfuls of her little pink treats into the enclosure, smiling as they were gobbled up by the younger foxes, who bolted away to the other side of the enclosure, barking and yapping at another visitor, laughing when he couldn't understand them.

A dark grey fox emerged from the brush below her, and Aella inclined her head with respect. The fox copied her motion, and when they met eyes, amber to bright orange, Aella was the one to lower her eyes first. The fox chuckled, its voice harsh and deep, "What's wrong? You never come around unless you need to talk to me."

Aella sighed, "Wilmer..." She hesitated, and then sighed once more, "I rescued a man from the top of the Golden Gate Bridge."

The fox arched an eyebrow. "Why?"

She shrugged. "I was at home - and then I got visions of him rolling off the edge and I grabbed the back of shirt before I knew I had transported there."

Wilmer snickered, but gestured with his tail for her to continue.

"What's so funny?" She asked indignantly.

"It's not important yet," he chuckled, "what happened next?"

She shrugged. "I took his drunk ass home and put him in bed." She frowned, "I hugged him - but that's not important."

The younger foxes were barking up at another visitor, insulting him, laughing when he didn't understand and didn't react.

Wilmer frowned, looking at the younger foxes, and at the visitor they were pestering. "Is there anything different about him? Compared to an average human? Is there anything strange or different about him?"

Aella inhaled deeply. "I... There's... Something different about him. He's..." She shivered. "Powerful."

The fox nodded, baring his teeth at the other visitor. "Go on, Aella."

"I don't really know... I've interacted with him for maybe half an hour. We've maybe exchanged two dozens words." She sighed and placed her head in her hands.

"You're SO twitterpated."

"What?"

"Twitterpated."

"The hell is twitterpated?"

There was a harsh bark and the young foxes wailed and ran back to Wilmer. "He understaaaaaaands..."

Wilmer snarled down at the kits. "This is why insulting people isn't funny!" They meekly tucked their bushy tails between their legs.

Aella snarled. "Who? He who?!"

They pointed with their noses to a blonde haired, blue eyed man. Aella's eyes widened then narrowed. She snarled and he walked around to her side of the pavilion, the younger foxes disappearing into the bushes. Wilmer yowled up at the man as he came closer, "Get lost! She doesn't need someone like you, you little chit! She's fine on her own!"

Aella turned her face away so the blonde couldn't see her blush. Wilmer was more of a dad than her father ever was.

The man met Wilmers eyes directly, and snarled a challenge. Wilmer did something Aella had never seen him do; he tucked his tail between his legs, flattened his ears and backed away, not meeting the man's eyes. He backed all the way into the brush, where he disappeared.

Aella whispered, "Goodbye, Wilmer." She sighed and turned away, meaning to walk away, but a question stopped her.

"Aella? Do you remember me?"

She froze, and turned back to him, his eyes guarded. She nodded. "Y-yes."

He smiled. "I remember you."

She laughed, "Well, I deduced that, Sherlock."

He gestured to the fox pit. "You can talk to them?" She nodded. He frowned and looked into the pit, no foxes to be found. "What IS twitterpated?"

She shrugged. "Your guess is as good as mine." She turned and walked away. Something nagged at her to go back, but she kept walking, her back ridged. He was dangerous and she knew it. The animal in him was back, not like that night a few weeks ago, when she had done her impromptu rescue.

She heard footsteps behind her, and she grew tense. "Aella, wait!" He grabbed her arm, just above her tattoo, and she lost it. She screamed, rounded on him, and grabbed his wrist, yanking it away from her arm as she spun away from him, then as she was getting ready to flip him, she couldn't move. He would not lift off the ground, and she couldn't move her lower body. She had successfully spun herself into his arms, and he had pinned her close to him, immobilizing her legs by trapping them in his own. She started shaking with terror, and closed her eyes, trying to push away the memories that threatened to engulf her.

He released her, and she put a solid five feet between them, staring at her feet. He asked quietly, "Do you want to go get coffee? On me."

"Don't grab me like that."

"I won't. I swear. Okay? You can trust me."

She snarled, "Prove it."

"I'm trying to. But you are rather hard to trust, too. You were in my apartment."

"Don't you dare get accusatory on me. You were drunk as a skunk and about to fall to your death!"

"You were in my apartment." His tone was even and hard to read, but his eyes were not angry or accusatory, but curious. "Why?"

She had no answer. She looked away.

He moved so their eyes met again. "Coffee? Maybe they'll get my order right this time."

That coaxed a smile out of her. "Fine." She'd make sure they didn't.

* * *

He sighed, "Why is it that every time I'm in a coffee shop with you they mess up my order?"

Aella smiled quietly to herself, reaching for the coffee that was on the bench above her. He was sitting on the bench, she lay in the grass beside it, enjoying the tickle of the soft blades on her skin. She watched him eye the mocha latte with disgust.

"It's like a chocolate bar in a cup," he complained.

"Just drink it." She had his espresso, and hated the bitterness of it, but enjoyed his distaste. It was funny. He set it down, and she put her coffee back on the bench, smiling as the cherry blossom tree they were sitting under shook some petals free in the wind. The Yerba Buena gardens had a few of the exotic trees, and she enjoyed the smell of them.

"So..." He started, turning to look at her, "Erm..."

She sat up, putting her chin in her hands. "What's up?"

"Nothing." He grabbed a coffee and took a sip, his eyes narrowing. "You had my coffee the entire time, didn't you?"

She smirked, and took off, running down the path and climbing into a tree. When she sat on a large branch to stop for a rest, he was already there, leaning against the trunk of the tree. She jumped when she saw him, "That's not funny."

"It's hilarious. I'm laughing SO hard." He jumped at her and she flinched backward, falling out of the tree. She landed on her back, which drove all the breath out of her. He smiled and reached one hand down to help her up. She took it, and he smiled, pulling her to her feet. His hands were firm and sure, they did not shake.

She tried to pull away gently, but in doing so, their fingers laced together and she froze. He smiled at her and she let her hand stay there for a while, before pulling away, breaking the contact. She walked back to their bench, where they discovered a homeless man drinking their coffee. She sighed and turned away, walking in the other direction. He followed beside her, gently brushing his hand against hers. She drew her hand away, "Sorry."

He shrugged. "Don't worry about it."

Eventually, darkness fell, and they ended up outside Naruto's apartment building. He smiled. "Thanks."

"For what?"

"Trusting me for the day."

She turned away, waving goodbye. "I'll see you later, I guess."

He took her hand, drawing her back, gently. She didn't freak out, but let it happen, still scared on the inside. He said, "A buddy of mine is throwing a party on New Year's Eve." He smiled at her, "Could you make time in your oh-so-busy schedule to show up?"

She handed him a piece of paper in response.

"What's that?"

She took it back from him peering at it, holding it close to her eyes, then at arms-length. She put it back in his hands. "My address and phone number."

He laughed, and tucked it into his pocket. She pulled away, but he didn't let go, pulling her back into his arms.

She whispered. "Please let me go."

"One more thing first." He lowered his head then hesitated. "Do you trust me?"

She nodded. "Yes."

Freddie, looking out his window from a nearby building, smirked. She walked away blushing, as Naruto stuck his hands in his pockets and walked into his building with a smile on his face. Freddie closed the curtains with a chuckle. "I knew you would land her."

* * *

Naruto was starting to understand what being twitterpated meant. He couldn't concentrate on anything and he felt weird. It wasn't like it was with 'HER'. This seemed more spontaneous and less certain. But that was what he loved about it. He literally didn't know where this was headed. They both knew the other wasn't normal but neither seemed to care. And he hadn't talked to her very much since the day at the zoo. Sure they had spoken over the phone but it wasn't quite the same as speaking face to face.

But on the flip side of that coin, the dreams had been coming to him more often and they were getting worse. He didn't understand them and he didn't mention them to Aella. How do you even begin to talk about something like that? He was sure that he couldn't just call her up and start talking about her horrible childhood that may or may not be figments of his imagination. He didn't understand them. But one thing he knew was that the dreams certainly added up with why she didn't liked to be touched. That was a fact that angered and bewildered him to no end. All of her body language and social responses suggested that the events in the dream really did take place. But Naruto's logical side refused to accept that. How could she possibly be affiliated with Greek gods that were supposed to just be made up legends?

But that was when the smart side of Naruto's brain dropped kicked the logical side in the face. If his father was able to call up the Death god to seal Kurama in his stomach then why couldn't the Greek gods exist? If two worlds that were entirely separate from each other could exist at the same time then why couldn't a few overpowered humanoids sit upon their thrones and mess around with the lives of mortals? In any case, Naruto vowed that he wouldn't mention it until she brought up his weirdness first. She would start asking questions sooner or later. Hopefully.

But he didn't need to worry about that today beecause today was in fact New Year's Eve. The night of the party. The night when half of the civilized world got collectively drunk. Naruto absently wondered why ninja's didn't have a celebration like this. He was she sure that if Tsunade caught wind of it, that it would become a village festival in a heartbeat. The thought made him smile but it also made him a little sad.

"Hmmmm. What should I wear?" Naruto asked himself as he looked into his closet. He sat there for a while before he snapped his fingers and walked into his storage room. He danced around some boxes and avoided the Kunai and Shuriken that were in neat rows on the floor before he came to one measly little storage scroll that was sitting in a lonely corner. He spread it out and found the one thing that he was looking for. He pushed some chakra into the neat kanji and out 'poofed' an orange hoodie. But it wasn't just any orange hoodie. It was a hoodie that 'SHE' had given him for his seventeenth birthday. The hood of it even had little fox ears that poked up when he put the hood on.

He smiled sadly and slipped it on over his head. It still smelled like her. And that was a bittersweet scent. He pulled on his pants and socks before setting his alarm clock and curling up on his couch to sleep. He twisted the hoodie slightly so he could bury his nose into the fabric. He was asleep and dreaming happy dreams that he would regret remembering later.

Several hours later, after the sun had already dipped down below the horizon, Naruto found himself walking into the bar where Freddie directed him to. As he entered, he cut off Kurama's chakra from himself again. He didn't really plan on getting wasted but he did want to enjoy himself. He would have to talk to the fox soon anyway. It would be nice to speak to someone from his old home. In fact it was weird that the fox had been so silent anyway. Also in a spurt of braveness Naruto decided to drop the illusion that was keeping his whisker marks hidden. It would be funny to see how people reacted to them.

As he walked into he looked around for Freddie. But Freddie found him first as said man draped an arm over the blonde shoulders and steered him over to a table. Sitting at the table were about six guys that Naruto didn't know.

One of them was a burly guy who stood up and sized the blonde up, "This is the guy you were telling us about Freddie? He barely looks old enough to drink."

Freddie chuckled in response, "Trust me. The kid can drink. A lot. And he's cool. Not as smart as us but cool." Naruto frowned and slapped his friend over the head.

"I can be smart when the situation calls for it."

One of the other guys was the first one to see the abnormal marking on the blonde's cheeks. He called it out and Naruto looked at him in false surprise before making an 'ah' noise.

"Oh, these?"

He got multiple nods.

"I'm pretty sure that they are birthmarks. I've had them ever since I was a baby. The girls seem to like them though."

He got a few skeptical looks and laughs. He put on a pout and then a challenging face.

"Oh. You don't believe me? Watch this." He pulled the hood on over his head so the ears poked out and put on his most dazzling smile before unleashing it on the table of girls that were sitting across the bar. He was praying that they didn't laugh or he'd lose all credibility.

But they didn't laugh. A few of them blushed and started to whisper quietly among themselves and the others just smiled back. He turned back towards the guys with a triumphant grin.

"Told you," he said in a smug tone.

The burly man, now named Dave, smirked, "Okay kid. You were able to get the attention of college girls with all that orange so I guess you're okay. Now let's see if the baby fox can hold his own at the partying game."

Naruto smirked back. He didn't mind the nickname. It fit...sorta.

And so they partied. It was fun. He drank a few beers and flirted with a few girls. But he always kept his eye out for the face that he really wanted to see. But she didn't show up. At least for the first hour and a half. But that was when Naruto got up to go relieve himself. Maybe she would be there when he returned.

* * *

Aella felt very, very uncomfortable. When she learned that it was to be a bar party and not a house party, she nearly backed out of the invitation. Too many people too close to her, too many ways for her relive her experiences with her brother in some desolate back alley.

So she brought Than. Her nephew, but both of them knew in public that he was her older brother. His aura made people stay away from them, his eyes dark and his skin pale. He frowned, looking around. "Aella... Are you sure you aren't being set up? You've been here for nearly ten minutes."

She turned over her shoulder, a snarl on her face. "Have you ever thought perhaps that the 'don't come close unless you wanna die' vibe may have something to do with that?"

He took a swing of nectar out of a silver flask, eyes narrowed. "I don't want you to get hurt." He rolled his shoulders, and whined, "The leather jacket makes my feathers itchy..."

She growled. "I'm wearing stilettos and you're complaining about your feathers being itchy. Just be quiet and be my bouncer."

He sighed and offered her the flask. She shook her head, her amber eyes looking for Naruto. Where the Hell could he be? Than traced her shoulder blade with his corpse-cold fingers. She jumped, and he smirked. "I like this one. You had a good artist." The dragon on her right shoulder she had put there to cover a nasty scar, just like the other one on her left arm and in the small of her back.

She sighed and put her head in her hands, watching the bar keep mix drinks. She waited for another few minutes before getting tapped on the shoulder. It wasn't Than, who was awkwardly trying to get a very, very drunk girl off his arm.

She turned to look over her shoulder, and got a face full of cosplay fox. Complete with whiskers and ears. The blue eyes sparkled enthusiastically.

"You made it!"

She blinked at him, and laughed. "What are you wearing?!" He shrugged, and smiled at her, and as she turned to get Than's attention, she felt his eyes rove over her. It wasn't hostile or with bad intentions, but made her feel more than a little uncomfortable. Than turned, and she sensed Naruto go on edge.

She tried to diffuse the situation, making quick introductions. "Than, this is Naruto." Than frowned, sizing the blonde up, his dark eyes unimpressed. She turned to Naruto, who looked even more on edge now, having taken up a casual, but threatening stance. She thought she could hear Than's eyebrows rise. "Naruto, this is my older brother, Than."

Naruto frowned, and his hand slowly traveled to his pocket, eyes narrowing dangerously. He bared his teeth, and growled, rather loudly, before taking her hand and gently, but forcefully, pulled her close and put her behind his back. She thought she saw the glitter of a blade emerge from both men's pockets and she cleared her throat. Than snapped out of it, and stood, towering at nearly six and a half feet tall. He said gruffly, "Keep your cup covered and call me if things get..." His eyes narrowed at Naruto, and Aella could tell he was laughing on the inside about the ears. "...Out of control." He headed for the door, and she stiffened as he took off the leather jacket at the door, revealing ravens wings that extended from his shoulders to his tailbone. He looked over his shoulder, winked and then disappeared in a blast of cold air.

Naruto stood, and said softly, "We're sitting at a table not too far away." He smiled down on her and she pushed back the hood, her fingers traveling over the whiskers.

She was surprised when they didn't smudge. She pressed a little harder and he laughed at her confusion.

"They're birth marks, Aella. They aren't going to come off."

She crossed her arms, but her eyes travelled over them curiously. "I like them. They look kinda like war paint..."

He gently took her hand. "Come meet the guys." She trembled at the contact, but when they laced fingers and he let her press her arm to his, she felt some control return to her side.

"Boys, look! Baby fox landed himself a foxy lady!" That came from a burly man who had drunk just a tad too much. His face was a little red, and he laughed at his joke like it was the best thing he had heard all year. The other guys around the table guffawed at the joke, and Aella suddenly felt very, very outnumbered. She took a step back, and when something brushed against her knees, she sat down on a reflex. She blinked in surprise when she realized she had been tucked into the table.

Naruto smiled. "Guys, Freddie - this is Aella."

Freddie looked at Aella and winked surreptitiously at her. "He's been doing some hardcore griping over you - he isn't always this suave - don't let him fool you."

Naruto snarled. "Hey! I didn't spill the beans about you to Akila!"

A woman dressed in a loose fitting silver dress that gathered at her bustline. Aella recognized her on the spot, and her eyes went red around the edges. 'Akila' sat next to Freddie, smiling, before she was introduced to Aella. Both of them reacted in the same way. They took deep breaths, and blinked furiously to conceal the way their eyes were changing. It was quite clear to the guys around the table that the two girls had a history.

"Akila."

"Aella."

The greetings were civil enough, but Aella could feel herself giving way to the chaos. She gently pulled her hand out of Naruto's, kicking her stilettos off beneath the table, folding her legs beneath her.

Akila mirrored the movements, her eyes narrowing.

Just as the discussion about football was getting serious, both girl collided in the air over the table and started screaming. Glass shattered, hair was pulled, and alcohol stained both girls' dresses. Aella folded beneath Akila, who screamed at her. "How dare you! You abandoned him when he needed you most!"

Aella punched her, drawing blood as she broke her nose, and flipped them over, hitting her again. "You know what he did to me! All of them know! He changed who I was supposed to be because of it!" She shoved her arm into Akila's face, the tribal tattoo vibrant and harsh against her skin. "Look at the scars, bitch! Look!"

The tables legs gave out and they rolled over to the bar, tearing at each other's hair and clothes, blood being drawn by both fighters by fingernails, and in Aella's case, teeth.

Aella shivered, painfully aware she was exposing a lot of skin she hadn't been at the beginning of the night. She tried to cover herself, but received a lone, deep scratch across her wrist for the trouble. Blood began to fly, and Aella knew that it was only a matter of time before she gave in to the fox, and tore Akila's pretty head from her shoulders.

* * *

After he got over his shock and awe, Naruto was the first to react with Freddie coming right after. While the rest of the bar was cheering the blonde rushed forward wrapped his arm around Aella's waist and yanked her upwards which, in turn, pulled up Akila, too. He managed to shove the girls apart long enough for him to put his body between them. He backed up and trapped Aella in between the bar and his back. He spread his arms out behind him and latched onto the the bar counter, effectively creating a cage made out of wood and muscle. However, doing this meant he couldn't defend himself from Akila who had renewed her attacks by trying to go through Naruto. She swung and opened up a large gash on her fellow blonde's forehead. Said blonde sighed and braced his foot against her stomach before shoving her back into Freddie's awaiting arms.

Freddie wrapped her up in a bear hug that pinned her arms against her sides. She started screaming and shouting obscenities that one would not expect her to know. In mere seconds Naruto had managed to remove his hoodie and jam it over Aella's head so that she was covered. But before she could get her arms through the sleeves, he twisted them behind her back and tied them in a knot which effectively created a straightjacket. With the grace of a former ninja he swept her into his arms bridal style and walked out of the bar.

He walked to car and opened the door before gently placing her in the passenger seat. He walked calmly over to his side and got in as well. He looked over to see her struggling madly to get out of the hoodie. Finally she got fed up and screamed, "Let me out of this this fucking thing!"

He smirked, "I will. Once you calm down."

"Do it now, you blonde bastard!"

"Are you calm?"

"Hell no!"

"Then I'm not letting you out."

She screamed in exasperation before she stopped struggling like a madwoman. He looked over after a minute or so and asked, "Are you calm?"

She huffed in annoyance before responding, "Yes. I'm calm. Now will you please undo the sleeves?"

"Gladly," and without even looking her reached behind her back and yanked on one of the sleeves, undoing the knot. She pushed her arms through the sleeves which were too long for her.

Naruto cranked the car and looked at her, "I'm not even going to ask what happened back there. Because I'm sure it's something that I don't want to know. So how about I take you to my place. You can have a cup of coffee and then I'll take you to wherever you want. Deal?"

She hesitated for a second before nodding. He sighed and pulled out of the bar's parking lot. Troublesome women.

Somewhere in another world a lazy, spikey haired, slacker sneezed.

* * *

He kept true to his word, brewing her a cup of coffee in utter silence. She let her eyes roam, the kitchen was an organized, yet somehow less than tidy space, but at least everything was clean.

He was never this quiet. She felt like a small child, waiting to be chastised for something she knew she did wrong. He turned over his shoulder to look at her and she curled up in the wooden chair, waiting to be yelled at. He sighed and put her coffee in front of her, then sat across from her, never taking his eyes from her. It made her skin prickle uneasily. She looked behind her quickly, checking for a clock or a painting or anything else he could be staring at, and was greeted with blank wall.

She growled. "Quit staring at me."

He arched an eyebrow, and continued to stare at her. Somehow, that arched eyebrow managed to convey surprise, scorn, a touch of embarrassment, and beneath all that, concern.

She quivered and lowered her eyes, pulling the hoodie over her head and handing it back to him, covering herself with one arm. "Can I use your washroom?"

He pointed to a door down the hallway, and she hurried there, desperate to wash and assess the damage. She closed the door behind her and sighed at her reflection. She was covered in scratches, the worst ones on her wrist and another bad one on her shoulder. She found a facecloth, and wetting it, began to gently clean the scratches, her eyes examining the tatters of her dress. She frowned, thinking on how to fix it, before finally just turning it backward, the ribbons of the halter becoming black satin that tied beneath her bust, the back of the dress had been hiked up over her bra, resulting in a dangerously short front, but she made it work for what she needed, which was only to be covered.

She exited the washroom, only to discover that he had moved to the couch, his cup in his hands, hers on the coffee table. She sat down, moving as far away from him as she could, noticing that his blood had crusted in his hair. She sighed and stared at her now cold coffee.

"I want to play a game." He said, his blue eyes focused on her face.

"What kind of game?" She replied, with perhaps a tad too much aggression in her voice.

"A game of questions. We take turns asking questions and the other person has to answer as honestly as they can. It's like Truth or Dare - just without the Dare part." He smiled at her, and she finally relaxed. "You can go first."

The little bit of OCD in her brain was shouting at her about the blood in his hair. She tried to push it down, but the question came blurting out. "Will you let me clean the scratch on your forehead?"

He nodded and she scurried back to the bathroom, wetting another face cloth and putting soap on part of it. When she returned, turning his face toward her so she could clean it, his eyes closed as she wiped his blood away with a tender hand. "How can you talk to foxes?"

She answered without thinking about it. "They're my representative. I can talk to them because they give off all the characteristics I wanted to exude. Cheekiness, playfulness, loyalty. But that often gets twisted into sly, cunning and dangerous." She bit her lip before she continued, stopping herself. He didn't seem to react, except for a small smile. She licked her lips, and asked another that had been eating at her since she learned his full name. "Okay - call me stupid, but are you the same Naruto Uzumaki as the one written in the books by Jiraiya Kazmana?"

He grinned and got to his feet, leading her to an office space that had papers scattered everywhere. His expression turned sad as he picked up a page. "Jiraiya is a writing name. It's an autobiography. And Namikaze was my father's last name. I use my mother's" She cast her eyes down as he shuffled papers into filing cabinets and straightened the space. His truth meant Nine-Tails was in some shape or form, real, and he had trained hard in the ways of the shinobi from a young age. She took a step back; he was dangerous. He sighed, "I'm still the same guy, Aella. I just happen to have a fucked up past and an uncertain future."

"You aren't the only one." She whispered.

He slowly approached her, leading her back to the couch, his hand carefully placed in hers. She thought of how accustomed she had become to his grip, and how proud she was of herself for not flinching every time he touched her. He asked, his voice guarded, "What can you tell me about your family?"

"Family?!" She spat the word like it was poison in her mouth. She narrowed her eyes and looked right at him. "'Let me tell you what kind of link I have with them. They are just lumps of meat linked by hatred and murderous intent'." She forgot who had said it, but it came out of his books. She sighed, and lowered her gaze. She took a deep breath. "What am I to you?"

He chuckled. "A friend who happens to be a girl. Whom I enjoy holding hands with and is a very good kisser." His voice got teasingly husky, moving close enough to her to put his arms loosely around her. "One whom I wish would let me get closer." He was teasing. She could tell, but her shoulders tensed anyway. She was winning a battle that told her to move away, and instead, moved closer, trembling as she lay her head on his shoulder. He asked softly, "Why were you all over me when we first met, but trembling now, in my arms?"

She pulled away a little. "Because you've trapped me."

"I don't understand."

She got a hold of his shirt and pulled him on top of her as she lay down, putting the pair of them in a very compromising position. She was shaking furiously, but he was shaking too, looking down on her with passion in his eyes.

"Aella... I..."

"Where are your hands?"

"At your sides."

"Good. Now put them on my wrists." He did, pinning her arms over her head as she closed her eyes to suppress HIS voice. Telling her that he was almost there, she just need to... Her eyes snapped open and she fought his hold on her wrists as she melted, and heard him inhale sharply at the way she vibrated against him. She could hear the growl building deep in his throat. She whimpered, "Naruto. You have complete and total control of my body right now. I no longer am the master of my own fate. You decide whether to tie me up and make me suck on a big one, fuck the brains out of me..." He flinched at the vulgar suggestions. "...et cetera, et cetera, or you could let me up. I don't get to make that choice. You do."

He gently kissed her cheek and helped her sit up, but his eyes betrayed his dirty thoughts. "Aella..."

He suddenly found himself unable to speak as she kissed him violently, straddling his lap and grinding her pelvis against his. He gasped, taking her hips in his hands. She pulled away, still grinding. He turned his face away, choking on a small sound. She growled, readjusting her dress so it wouldn't tear in her movements. "Naruto . Look at me."

He did, and she stopped moving. He whimpered and she felt his muscles in his legs tighten.

"Where are your hands?"

"Your hips..."

She started to slowly rock back and forth. She felt his fingers tighten enough to secure her, but not hard enough to stop her. She smirked and leaned down to whisper huskily in his ear, "Who is the mistress of your desires?"

"You are..."

"Who has you wrapped around their little finger?"

"You... Aella... Dear Kami..."

She pulled away, sitting on her side of the couch like nothing happened. She smiled at him. "Understand?"

He nodded, squirming uncomfortably.

"Go take a cold shower. I'll wait." He didn't waste any time, practically disappearing into the washroom.

She waited patiently for him to return, playing with the dregs of her coffee, making flowers in the bottom of her cup, smiling softly to herself. Flowers were nice. She inhaled deeply, and the scent of soap, men's shampoo and aftershave assaulted her nostrils. Before she could turn to face him, he had started to loosely braid locks of her hair, playing with it softly. She sighed and let him, still shaking. "Can you sit where I can see you?"

He sat right next to her, having calmed himself enough with the cold shower. She turned to look at him, and he played with the hair right at the sides of her face, his hands steady and warm. She closed her eyes, trying not to lean away. She opened her eyes. "Do you still think of Hinata?"

"All the time." His blue eyes were sad, and he turned away, leaving the braids in her hair to come undone on their own. She combed them out of her hair with her fingers, her eyes cast down in shame.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry. It's hurt worse." She stood, picked up his coffee cup and returned to the pot, filling it for him again. She put it back in his hands, and he sighed. "Thank you, Aella."

She nodded in acknowledgement, than sat on the opposite side of the couch, giving him some space.

He took a deep shuddering breath and put his head in his hands. Aella froze, unsure what to do. She recoiled, not wanting to set off the waterworks. It took him a few minutes to gather his composure, and when he turned back to her, his eyes were hard. She was still curled up in a ball, tense. He put his arm on the back of the couch, leaving his side open in a silent invitation. Hesitantly, she moved toward him, not wanting the trap to snap shut on her, leaving her to chew off her leg.

Aella eventually ended up curled against his side, his arm still on the back of the couch. He was staring at a wall, looking troubled, whiles her amber eyes were transfixed by the way his chest rose and fell when he drew in breath.

"My next question is tiered."

"Tiered?"

"I have to ask a few smaller questions before I get to the big one."

"Okay..."

"Do you believe in visions, premonitions or seeing things while you dream?"

She nodded, still watching the way his chest moved. "Yes. Doesn't it make sense? Your brain opens itself up to anything around it and becomes sluggish. It's child's play for something to get into your mind and exploit it."

He turned to look at her, and rolled closer to her. He sighed, and helped her get into a comfortable spot, leaning against him. He tried to touch her as little as possible, Aella noticed, and he was tense. She had her head on his shoulder, and could feel his voice rumble as he asked his second question. "Would you be freaked out if I told you I'd been dreaming of you for nearly a year?"

Her eyes narrowed. "Depends on the dreams."

He tilted up her chin so she looked at him, face to face, eyes to eyes. "Do you know someone who does or used to go by the name of Artaxias?"

She jerked her face away, pushing herself as far from him as she could get. She started to shake violently, looking as if she was expecting a blow. "No. No nonono... I don't. I don't."

He took her hand. "Aella." She shivered, knowing the question that was coming, and dreaded it. "Aella, were you raped as a child? By Artaxias?"

"Why the fuck does it matter?!" She yanked away, and looked at him, her eyes flashing from amber to yellow to red to ice blue. "Tell me! And don't you dare get all sad and coddle me! I don't need it! I don't need anyone! Tell me, Naruto, why in GODS NAME DOES IT FUCKING MATTER?!"

He had no answer for her. If he did, it didn't come fast enough. She stormed from his apartment, slamming the door so hard behind her she was sure it woke the neighbors. She headed for the elevator, and when it didn't come for her, she screamed, grabbed the floor button and ripped it out of the wall, snapping cords and electrical wires that sparked fitfully. She threw it to the ground and headed for the stairs, storming down them, the tears starting to come. She came to the bottom of the stairs and stopped, finding a hiding spot beneath the last stairs, in a triangular shaped alcove where she curled up into a little ball like the broken little coward she was. She knew it too. She knew she was cowardly, taking great heaving breaths as she tried to stop the tears.

Her subconscious made a decision for her, turning her into the small white fox with ice blue eyes. She curled into a ball and covered her nose with her tail, wiping her eyes with her paws. Apparently animals could cry.

* * *

**Okay! Yep. So. I'm sure a lot of you had problems with this chapter or at least some of you. So I'm gonna think up some questions that you might ask.**

**Q. **Why was Aella all over Naruto in the beginning but now she's all scared and shit?

**A. **We tried to make it clear but Aella is fine if she is the one in control. I know she is a god and all but the shit she went through sticks with you and Naruto's a pretty powerful guy.

**Q. **Why are Zeus and Ares supreme, Grade A, assholes?

**A. **I personally don't like them and wish to see them beaten repeatedly. Yep. That's pretty much it for that one.

**Q. **Why do all the gods have separate names?

**A. **The gods kinda have to incognito when they are messing around with mortals and it would obviously be dumb to have them using their real names.

**Q. **Why does Athena have beef with Eris?

**A. **That will be explained later and will be resolved. Trust me. I am not an Athena hater.

**Q. **Is Konoha gonna be involved in crossover when they shouldn't be? OH GAWD! NOT THIS AGAIN!

**A. **I know that I hinted at that but I am honestly not sure. IF it does happen it won't be for a while and it will probably only be Kakashi and Tsunade. And that's a big IF.

**Q. **Did we gues the goddess right?!

**A. **Yes! Most of you did. And I'm running short on time right now so I can't mention all of you but Awaikage Kitsune was the first. So Mister Kitsune, you get a cyber cookie. All of you guys are awesome and I hope you continue to read. And if you have any other questions that I didn't think of PM me and I'll get back to you.


	3. Chapter 3

**Sup? Well, I'm back with another chapter. I have to say that I almost feel bad for Ares and Zeus. You guys wanted to pretty brutal stuff. But I think that SonOfHades and LoverOfArtemis takes the cake. Dude, I don't even think that many rasenshurikens would fit. But we might as well find out. *grins evily***

**But aside from torturing certain gods I appreciate all your reviews and hope that you keep writing them. Now just like last chapter a lot happens in this and all of you that were complaining about the lack of babies should be pleasantly surprised. Now there is a steamy bit in this chapter but I don't think you can call it a lemon. It's not even close. So that's why you wont't see a big bold 'LEMON WARNING' in front of it. It's pretty easy to avoid if you don't wanna read it.**

**So enjoy.**

* * *

Naruto sat stunned for a few moments before leaping up and following Aella out of his apartment. He ran towards the elevator and sighed when he saw the call button destroyed. He rushed down the stairs and looked around frantically for her. When he could find her he growled loudly and a shadow clone poofed into existence. The shadow clone almost instantly shifted form into that of Sasuke. The clone Sasuke was wearing the same infuriating smirk that he had wore when he put his hand through Hinata's chest. Naruto formed a swirling blue ball of chakra in his and drove it into the clone's sternum.

The ball grinded and drilled into Sasuke's chest as bits of flesh and droplets of blood turned Naruto's hand red. A sickening squelch was heard as the Rasengan broke through the clone's chest cavity and burst out of its back. The clone slumped forward onto Naruto before dispersing into smoke. Naruto frowned. It wasn't the same as the real thing.

The blonde back away from the stairs and slumped against the cold stone wall of the hallway. He slid down slowly and tilted his head up. He didn't usually cry. He had shed too many tears as it was. But for the first time in awhile he felt truly alone. He might have just ruined it with the girl he was started to like. Tears slowly slid down his face.

"Mom? Dad? What do I do? I feel like an animal that is the last of his species. What do you do when you're the only one? How do I fix it? I wanna go home."

Naruto slowly rose from his spot on the floor and started walking back up the stairs slowly. Tears still dropped from his face. When he finally got up to his apartment he walked to the storage room and went back to the scroll he got the hoodie out of earlier. He found another set of kanji and put his chakra into the seal. In an instant a lavender jacket with white sleeves was sitting in his lap. Hinata wasn't wearing it when she died. He got up and walked into his bedroom before lying down his bed. He clutched the jacket to his chest and blinked up at the ceiling.

"I miss you, Hime."

* * *

Aella sat shivering in the stairwell, unmoving. She heard his words echo in his ears, and wondered whether or not he had said them to guilt her into setting her feelings aside.

A little voice whispered, "He would never do that. He knows what pain and isolation feels like." The voice got quieter, and grumbled, "Probably even more after that little outburst."

A louder voice shouted the quiet one down, "He hurt her! What kind of questions were those?! You can't make that not hurt - no matter how slowly you take it!"

The quiet voice murmured. "He isn't Ares. She likes it when she touches her. He isn't Zeus either."

"He could be a whole new definition of cruel."

Aella shivered, and separated her consciousness from the voices. She turned to face the concrete wall, and turned her thoughts to what he had said. '...last of his species...the only one...' She rubbed her wrists and cast her eyes down, looking in the dusty corner. Maybe she should go upstairs and make it up to him. She hadn't meant...

The loud voice returned, snarling at her. "You did too! You wanted him to feel like scum! How dare he make you that uncomfortable! How dare he mention his name!"

She flinched away, reaching into a concealed pocket and rubbing her fingers against an obsidian rock in the shape of a sickle. Than needed to take her back to her apartment. Soon. Before she did something she regretted. Before she did something she knew she had to. She rubbed the sickle harder, telling him to pick her up as soon as he could.

She looked up the stairs, and held herself back. There had been a spark between the two of them. Between the two shreds of soul left, maybe... Maybe...

The quiet voice intruded on her thoughts. "Maybe he's the one. Maybe he's that 'other half' Mother was always talking about."

The loud voice growled. "He's dangerous!"

Aella looked up the stairs, and began to walk up them, then realized that one of her stilettos had snapped. She found the heel on the second floor landing. She picked up the piece of plastic and spun it in her fingers. She took her shoes off and carried them in her hands, then heard the unmistakable horn of Than's car as he parked in front of the apartment complex. She felt herself torn between fear and concern, unable to decide which one to bend to. The car horn, getting steadily louder and longer influenced the decision. She huffed back down the stairs and kicked open the front doors, hiking up her dress with one hand, her shoes clutched tightly in the other. She could see him through the tinted windows, just leaning on the horn, sighing with impatience.

He rolled his eyes when he saw her and rolled down the passenger side window. "Rough night?"

She tossed her shoes through the window with a resigned sigh. "Cut the crap and just take me home."

Than's eyes narrowed and he got out of the car, walking around to her side. "Did he hurt you? I'll go Grim Reaper on his ass if he touched you, Aella! I'll kill him!"

She looked away. "Than - please. You don't need to, I promise."

"Look at me when you make promises, Aella." It was a command, one she obeyed as she made the promise again. He snarled. "You're a terrible liar." She could see his wings rolling beneath his sweater.

"Don't get your feathers ruffled. Not over me."

He rolled his eyes. "Stop with the self-pity and get in the car." She put her hand on the car door handle and easily identified the windows to Naruto's apartment. She sighed, and heard Than start to growl. He knew her weaknesses, and wasn't afraid to exploit them. His voice turned angry and commanding, and she felt orange eyes on her, scanning her broken body and soul. "Get in the car, bitch."

She obeyed.

* * *

Naruto woke up the next morning to hear someone knocking on his door. He groaned and meandered his way through his home to the door. He opened it groggily and was surprised to see the face of Akila.

"You look terrible Naruto," the blonde woman stated. And he did. His eyes were red and puffy and had bags under his eyes.

Naruto was taken aback by the statement but responded sadly, "I had a rough night."

Akila sighed and ducked under Naruto's arm and pulled him gently inside. She closed the door and led him to the dining room table before sitting him down.

She went to his coffee machine and started brewing a pot. And then she raided his fridge and started cooking some eggs and sausage. Naruto was about to say something but then he had a weird flashback and instead of seeing Akila standing over the stove he saw Tsunade. It made him feel warm inside and he relaxed into his chair.

About fifteen minutes later Naruto found himself eating quietly across from Akila who was doing the same. They sat and ate in silence before Naruto finally gave into his curiosity.

"How do you know where I live? Did Freddie tell you?"

Akila chuckled and took a sip of her coffee, "Naruto you forget that Frederick's building is less than five blocks away. But no, he did not. I just know things. I know a lot of things."

Naruto narrowed his eyes and pointed his fork at her, "What kind of things?"

"Get your elbow off the table. It's bad manners," Akila stated.

Naruto blushed and removed his elbow from the tabletop but tried to be a smart ass anyway, "Yes, Mom."

Akila just took it in stride and said seriously, "Thank you, dear." Naruto fell silent after that and they finished eating. Akila gathered the dirty dishes and put them in the dishwasher before gesturing Naruto to join her in his living room. She sat on the loveseat and he slouched down on the couch.

Naruto looked at her with curiosity, "So. Why did you stop by today?"

Akila's face became concerned, like a mother, "We need to talk. But first I need to ask you a question."

Naruto gestured for her to continue.

Akila sighed, "If I were to tell you that I was pregnant with Frederick's child. What would you say?"

Naruto nearly jumped out of his skin, "Well I'd say congratulations!"

"Oh! Well thats go-"

Naruto cut her off and his face became a mixture between sad and angry, "But I would also have to tell you that Freddie isn't ready for a kid. He *sigh* he just isn't Akila."

Akila seemed surprised by this information, "Why not? He seems responsible. He has a decent job."

Naruto made a rumbling sound is his chest, "It isn't a matter of responsibility, Akila. Frederick is perfectly capable of taking care of a child. It's a matter of wanting to. He would feel trapped and held down. He would be resentful. I just don't think he'd make a good dad. At least right now at this stage of his life."

Akila sunk down into her seat, "What makes you say that, Naruto."

"He told me those same words a few months ago when I asked him if he would ever want kids. It was just a random conversation."

Akila seemed troubled by his words before she looked at Naruto with a new fire in her eyes, "Look Naruto. I know you aren't normal. I know that you are skilled and that you are powerful. But I do not know if you are honorable."

Naruto tried to say something because he didn't like where this was going, but she didn't give him the chance.

"If I gave Frederick a child and he did not show a proper desire to care for it, would you take it in and raise it as your own?"

Naruto started to freak out. That was a loaded question. He spoke frantically, "Listen Akila, I would, but I don't know if I'm the best choice. I have issues. I'm sure there are plenty of families out there who would adopt. Where would you be anyway?"

Akila got up and started pacing, "I am not normal, Naruto. You know this. No matter how much I may regret it. I will not be able to stay and care for a child like a proper mother. And no normal person would be able to care for a child of mine. Now answer me. Would you or would you not take in our child?"

"Yes, Akila! But-"

"Promise me, Naruto Uzumaki!"

"I promise-"

"No! Swear it on the River Styx."

Naruto froze. The River Styx? Oh, dear Kami. He was in deep. Akila snapped her eyes to him when he fell silent but she looked desperate. Pleading even. He sighed and said the words that he would probably regret later, "I swear on the River Styx that, if Freddie should end being a shitty dad, I will take care of your kid." Thunder rumbled in the sky even though there were no clouds.

Akila sighed and sat back down, "Thank you."

"You're welco-"

Akila cut him off with a gray eyed glare so fierce that it shook him to the bone, "But know this Naruto Uzumaki, former shinobi of Konoha, if you should back out of this promise or fail to uphold it. Your life is forfeit."

Naruto gulped but then growled, "Don't question me, Akila. I never break my promises. I'd rather die first."

Akila smirked, "That is good. A fine thing to live by."

Naruto nodded and then he became serious, "Now, since you obviously know who I am. Who or what exactly are you? I think I deserve to know at this point."

Akila sighed and leaned back to get comfortable, "Ok. I suppose that is true. So tell me, Naruto. How much do you know about Greek mythology?"

* * *

Aella was having a good day. That just meant thousands of other people were not. She sat smiling in the jewel gardens, her eyes closed as she encouraged volcanic eruptions that made houses burn and roads melt. Tidal waves turned into rogue ones, flipping boats and getting sunbathers wet. The soft breeze blowing over tropical islands suddenly turned into a hurricane that would ravage the west coast of the United States in a few hours. She frowned, then focused, making it just a LOT bigger. Her focused turned to war and she hesitated before laughing. Whatever they were planning was laced with chaos already.

She inhaled sharply, and got up to take a walk. Everything that happened last night boiled down to Akila. She was sure of it. She wouldn't have been so ready to explode at Naruto if Akila hadn't made her erupt in the first place. She found herself wandering from the gardens and out over the sharp gravel toward the edges of the Underworld. She wandered the edges of Lake Acheron, staring at Tantalus on his island in the middle. She smiled at him and waved. He raised a hand and resolutely waved back before trying to pick up a bunch of grapes that turned into dust in his hands. She could practically hear his sigh echo across the water.

The mouth of a cave loomed out of the grey fog, the stalagmites and stalactites looking for all the world like teeth, extended far back into some terrible creatures throat. Without pause, she descended a series of worn stone steps concealed in the shadows. A large, red door loomed in front of her and she opened it angrily with a cry for her friend. "Nemesis!"

A voice behind her growled, "What?"

"You've been smoking again." The blue smoke hung at the ceiling of the dark room and clung to her friend like a second skin. "You told me you were going to give it up."

Nemesis trailed her fingers over Aella's shoulders and laughed. "It's not like I can get addicted to it."

"You clearly are."

Nemesis rolled her dark eyes and ran her fingers through her short black hair so it stood on end. "It adds to the bad girl image. Motorcycle, red leather jacket, thigh high leather boots - you know." She tapped another out of the little white box they came in and lit up. Blowing the smoke in Aella's face, she asked with a sneer. "Can you make this quick? I've got company."

Said company was nowhere to be found. "Male company?"

Nemesis smiled and took a step backward into the smoke filled room, where a dark figure wrapped an arm around her friend's waist and pulled her close. They stepped forward and Aella felt her eyes narrow.

Nemesis' choice of male company was...interesting. His hair was long in the front, and stuck up in the back, dark like anyone else who tended to lean away from the light. His clothing was negligible, what really caught her attention was his eyes. They were red, with a darker circle in the middle of the iris, on which three yang symbols were suspended.

She recoiled with a snarl. "And where are you from?"

His eyes darted to her, fixing her in a red gaze. "Around. That's all you need to know."

Aella bared her teeth. Thanks to those dumb -she now thanked him for writing- books Naruto had written, she could recognize those eyes from a mile away. "Is it really?" It was his turn to frown at her as she turned to Nemesis. "What's he doing here?"

She smiled. "Eris, this is-"

"I know who he is! WHY IS HE HERE?!"

Nemesis frowned, "To repay a debt."

Aella frowned. "I'll be leaving you two to that then." She turned to walk away.

Nemesis snarled. "I'll do what you want because you whooped Athena's ass last night. It was enjoying to watch." Aella nodded her thanks. Nemesis continued, "The answers you're looking for lie with a girl named Hinata. She's in Elysium."

Her male companion stiffened slightly at the name and Aella was glad for it. Rotten two-faced son of a bitch. "Make sure to send your companion back to where he came from, Nemesis. There is no place for him on Demeter's green earth. Or under it, for that matter." Aella walked away, pretending she hadn't absorbed that bit of information as she hurried up the stairs, feeling sharingan red burn into the small of her back.

* * *

She found herself knocking on a door with brass numbers, her hands folded behind her back. She held herself tall and proud, trying to mask her fear. Coming across as a thief or...

The door opened, answered by a beautiful woman with dark hair and pale violet eyes. Aella jumped when she realized they had no pupils. The woman smiled, wearing the clothes assigned to Elysium, a white shirt and dark colored pants or jeans.

"Hinata. My name is..."

"Come in. Please." She pointed with her thumb over her shoulder. "I have lemonade if you like."

"No thank you." Aella entered, carefully placing her shoes by the door. Hinata poured two glasses of lemonade and set them on a low table, where she sat cross-legged. She smiled as Aella copied her, trying to be polite.

Hinata said softly, "I know why you're here, Aella."

Aella chuckled softly. "A lot of people have told me that today."

"You're trying really hard to understand - aren't you?"

"I don't want to come across as trying to steal him... He should always remember you. And what you did for him."

Hinata took a long drink of lemonade, looking thoughtful. Her eyes fixed on Aella and scanned her. "All I ever wanted was for him to be happy. If you can do that - than you can."

"I'm trying."

She shook her head. "Not hard enough."

Aella frowned, "I beg your pardon?"

Hinata rolled her eyes. "Put your attitude away and just listen. It's evident in the way you sit you have problems." Aella stiffened and started to protest, her eyes flashing. Hinata sighed and put her head in her hand. "There is your problem."

"Where?"

Hinata pushed the lemonade into her hands. "You can't listen. If you can't listen - then you can't understand what he's trying so hard to tell you." Aella was silent now. Hinata smiled. "I'm dangling a carrot in front of your nose. I can tell that makes you angry. But I can also tell that you're angry because of what happened to you." Her eyes narrowed. "But this isn't about you. This is about him. He likes you - or at least he did. But you can't put aside your own self-pity to care for someone who has been through a lot more shit than you."

Aella snarled. "You can't talk to me that way!"

Hinata said calmly. "I can - and I will. You came here for my help. I'm helping you." Aella was quiet again. Hinata spoke, "As a ninja - you have to be able to see underneath what's underneath. We know what he is on the outside. He's a bit of a smart-ass who can kick major butt when he wants to. But what's beneath that?"

"Kurama." Aella said without hesitation.

"You're being too literal."

Aella thought carefully. "He's lonely."

Hinata nodded. "And beneath that? You don't know do you?" Aella shook her head, looking away. "He's scared. He's just a scared little boy who never knew his family and has had nearly everything taken from him. But you can't see that can you? You can only see you. And are too immersed in trying to help yourself than to make a difference. He deserves you. But you don't deserve him. He would give you the world on a silver platter if you wanted it. What could you give him? What does he like? What does he want out of life? Listen to him. And put away your past. Lock it up and put it on a high shelf - don't wear it like armour. Because underneath all those layers of chaos and strife and hatred - you're scared too."

Aella got up and looked away, tears in her eyes. Hinata opened the door for her, and closed it behind her when she left. Aella disappeared in a puff of silver smoke, tears in her eyes.

She had work to do; Listening, understanding, and trying. She had to try harder.

* * *

Naruto was amazed. No. He was fascinated.

"So you're Athena, huh?"

Akila smiled and nodded.

Naruto grinned and before chuckling, "Why is that I suddenly feel very stupid?"

Akila laughed, "You aren't stupid. I just have more knowledge than you. Now, Naruto, I would suggest getting a book about babies. Just in case." Right after she said that one of Naruto's clone's walked through the door with his face stuck in a book and bag in his hand. He sat down on the other side of the couch.

Akila's eyes widened, "That technique is extremely useful. The possibilities it could open up..."

Naruto smirked and took a bite of the burger his clone brought him, "Yeah, I know. It's totally awesome."

Naruto's clone raised an eyebrow, "Hmmmm. This book is about regular babies. Is there anything we should know about demigod babies?"

Akila started to inspect the clone when he asked the question, "Wow. And they are completely independent and can think for themselves? That's amazing. And should be impossible."

The real Naruto sighed in exasperation, "Akila. Focus."

Said blonde woman blushed and sat down between the two Naruto's so she could still study the clone, "Ah yes. Well they often have ADHD and Dyslexia. This is mostly because of their Greek blood. Their brains are hardwired for Ancient Greek not anything else. So they might have trouble reading at first. And they won't be able to stay still for long. But a child of mine should have an easier job with that."

Naruto nodded and stored that away, "Anything else?"

Akila nodded, "This is where your shinobi skills come in handy. Those monsters that were in the myths are real. Just like us. And they REALLY don't like demigods. So you will run into them and you will have to kill them. So that's why I've replaced your kunai and shuriken with celestial bronze kunai and shuriken."

Naruto nodded but then he jumped up and went into his storage room before he came back out with Asuma's trench knives.

"You see these? These are made of a chakra conductive metal. It lets me channel my chakra through them and do cool stuff. I probably won't be able to do the same things with celestial bronze. Do you think you could help me out?" Naruto asked while holding the blades out to his godly friend.

Akila took the blades and inspected them before smirking, "I think I know someone who could help out. Now I must go. Here take this. If I need to talk to you, you'll hear it." She handed him a necklace with an owl pendant. He nodded and pulled it over his head.

She smiled one last time before disappearing through his front door.

Naruto sighed and looked at his clone, "Keep reading. I need to get back in shape." With that he disappeared in a flash of orange light. He was going to the redwood forest.

* * *

Aella knocked on the apartment door, having climbed the flight of stairs she couldn't last night. "Naruto?" She knocked again, a little louder, and waited. When no one replied, she tried the doorknob, and found it unlocked. A great sense of unease washed over her, and she stepped into the apartment, hearing the storm rolling in from the west, still a while away. Something was off. The scent of coffee and paper was predominant, but there was something off about the place. The spare room door was open, and she walked over to it, her eyes curious and shifting. Laying on the floor in meticulously neat rows was dozens of sharp things she recognized as shruriken and kunai, as well as others that were oddly shaped, jagged blades, twisted into impossible shapes. She frowned, looking at a lighter space on the carpet where something had been for a while. She knelt down and ran her fingers along the impressions in the carpet, frowning.

Trench knives.

She flipped on the light switch and was dazzled by the amount of celestial bronze in the room, watching the light dance off the angles of the knives and variety of stars. She recoiled from them, and turned the light off again. She returned to the living room and smelt the remains of a late breakfast, coffee and eggs and sausage. A book was out of place on the table and her suspicions rose again. It was a dual book, "What to expect when you're expecting" and "The Early Years". Baby books. Why the in the Hell did he have baby books? She let herself become the little white fox, and padded softly around the apartment, finding a peculiar scent on the loveseat and in the spare room. It smelt... Young... She inhaled again, and what she got as the fox right away was baby bird or young mouse. But the scent on top of that was the smell of a musty old library, the smell she associated with knowledge, with wisdom...

Athena. Akila.

Her fox's nose continued to sniff, discovering what had happened. Athena felt fear. Naruto was angry and apprehensive, and then was scared. She had threatened him, making him swear... On the Styx. Freddie wasn't ready - but Athena thought Naruto was. For a child? She couldn't say if he was, yet something else she didn't know about him. Her eyes turned sad, then angry. Athena was pregnant with a 'thought child' she couldn't guarantee parents for? Sounds like another Olympian she knew.

Her head started to ring, blood pounding furiously behind her eyes, in her temples. It was a summons from Olympus, and her father's voice echoed from his platinum throne, all the way across the country. "All gods, large and small are to report to Olympus." She wailed, and toppled, straight into the rows of weaponry, scratching herself in a thousand places. She thrashed as her true godly form was forced on her, her hand wrapping around the blade of a kunai, cutting deep into her skin. There was a noise like a gunshot and a flash of white light, and all that betrayed her presence had ever been in the apartment was a small burn mark in the carpet and the shuriken scattered everywhere, glittering gold on burnished bronze.

* * *

"Arise and be accounted, Eris, daughter of Hera." Her tail swished impatiently as she stood, ears pointed flat back against her skull as she stood, robed in a chiton of black and silver. She did not bow, but she never did. The council grumbled, gathered in a loose circle of multicolored thrones. She sat at the throne of her uncles throne, a visitor throne of thundercloud, curled up against her 'consort'. When she had first returned to a council, she returned holding the hand of her fellow ward of the Underworld, Thanatos. She was the only one it seemed, who was not afraid to touch him. His true form was a cowled figure with bony hands and no eyes. She wasn't showing her affection, she was leading him along, but the accepted opinion was that they were together.

Zeus stood, his hands raised for silence, a presence that pressed heavily on her mind. Her nephews hand tightened in her own, her other hand curled around the bronze kunai hidden by her chiton. She growled, as her father began to speak. "Brothers, sisters, son and daughters, nieces and nephews, my immediate family has an announcement to make."

Eris snarled with distaste, "Another demigod? Great news!"

Thanatos growled in her ear. "Not now."

Zeus narrowed his eyes at his youngest daughter, but continued. "My daughter, Athena has provided this family with a great blessing. She has found a mortal worthy enough to bring me another grandchild." Scattered applause burst through the hall, mostly from the major gods, standing at over twenty five feet tall, but not from Eris, or some of the other minor gods. They stood at about fifteen feet tall.

Athena stood gingerly and walked to her father's side, taking his arm. She smiled prettily. The applause died away, but Eris began, everything clicking into place for her. She started laughing, gathering her skirts so she could stand. Thanatos let out a small whimper as he became blind, and sat very still. She smiled up at Athena. "Are you afraid, sister? Afraid the father will cast you away? Afraid you'll need a surrogate?"

She wrinkled her nose in distaste. "I have no need to fear a broken minor goddess who can't control her temper."

Thunder rumbled, and not by Zeus' doing. Eris smiled, and bronze glittered in her palm. "Be afraid, sister, be very afraid." The kunai buried itself blade first into Athena's shoulder, snapping off at the hilt as it grew to god-threatening proportions. She couldn't catch it in time and she tumbled from the force of the blow. Black smoke began to billow around Eris in a tightening spiral that began at her feet. "I curse you, Athena, Hera's daughter! For knowing of what our brother did to me and not acting on it - I curse you and the child in your belly! May the father never accept her! May she never know maternal or paternal love! As I have! May she be resentful of you to the end of her days!" Her palm was extended, a glowing ball of many colors pulsing between her fingers, and Zeus turned frantically to Nemesis, who shrugged.

"My deal was cut. The die is cast. Her fate is sealed." The ball flew from Aella's fingers and struck Athena in the chest, knocking the woman flat on her back.

Zeus roared, "Seize her!"

Ares stood, snarling with menace in his eyes, hunger suppressed beneath that. "Gladly, sir." He approached her and she stood tall and strong, trying not to shake. She was not scared. She was not scared. The smoke swirled faster around her ankles, reaching her knees. She was not scared.

"Don't touch her." Thanatos had stood, his raven wings spread for balance. He found her hand and rapidly squeezed it several times. He was telling her to go. She squeezed once, long and hard. A yes. He spread his wings in a challenge, his bony hand balled into fists. Ares snorted and drew a blade from one of the many at his belt.

By the time the God of War worked up enough nerve to attack the God of Death, Eris was gone.

Zeus roared. "Find her!"

* * *

He jumped high into a tree the second she touched his arm. He had a blade in his hand and she screamed. "Power down and listen to me! We need to get out of here!"

He snarled. "What do you mean?"

"I mean that unless you've got half a million of those celestial bronze shruriken on you - my brother about to descend from Mount Olympus and do some serious damage!"

His eyes turned hard and darted to a clearing he could see through the trees, where something strange began to shine and dance. There was the clink of bronze on bronze and Aella turned frantic, her hands clutching at her clothes, scared. She was scared. Dear Gods, she was SO scared...

The blonde went to jump down to meet the man who was making all the noise and he felt some latch onto to his arm. He turned to look at Aella and saw the fear in her eyes. He sighed and pried her hand off. He jumped down and started walking towards the man who had now entered his field of vision. He was a hulking man that was taller than Naruto, who stood at 6'3", and he was bound in muscle. This was a fact that made Naruto smirk. He might be strong. But Naruto was strong AND fast. The man carried a spear and a bronze Spartan shield. Naruto sighed in disappointment.

Naruto waited until the man was about ten yards in front of him before he spoke, "What brings someone like you down to my neck of the woods. You aren't lost are you?"

"Where is she?!"

Naruto chuckled, "Straight to point, eh? I like that." He started to gather Kurama's chakra inside of himself. Man this guy was getting a beatdown.

Ares snarled, "Yes. Now I ask again, Mortal. Where is she?! Do not make me kill you."

Ares was surprised when the blonde insect in front of him started to giggle. He was even more surprised when those giggles turned into full blown laughter. This made his blood boil.

"Silence mortal! What is so funny?!"

Naruto's laughter died down and his face hardened, "What's funny? The fact that you think you can kill me. I may be mortal but I have something you don't. An inner demon."

After he spoke those words power exploded out from him in a shockwave that made Ares stumble backwards. His body became engulfed in a shroud of flaming yellow chakra. A trench coat appeared on his form and strange black markings spread all over his body and clothes.

Naruto blurred from sight and Ares froze in surprise. That hesitation lost him the entire fight. The blonde reappeared in front of the god with his leg extended in a side kick that crumpled Ares' breastplate and sent him crashing through an entire redwood. Again the blonde blurred from existence before appearing behind the war god's flying form. He lashed out with another side kick that caught the man in the back which created a sickening crunch and a gasp of pain. Ares found himself hurtling through the air again except this time he was traveling in the direction he came from.

Naruto laughed madly before teleporting in front of the god and snapping his leg straight up into his chin, launching Ares into the air and shattering his jaw. He quickly joined his enemy in the air wearing a demented grin on his face. He clasped his hands together and brought them down on the War God's cranium. This action redirected Ares's path of motion straight towards the ground where he landed with a crash on his stomach.

While he was still in the air Naruto made a clone that launched the original towards the ground in a blur. A split second before impact Naruto flipped and slammed down onto the god's back feet first. The collision sent up a plume of dust and dirt. When the dust cleared Naruto stood at the rim of a decent sized crater which at bottom lay Ares; broken and defeated.

Naruto sniffed in disdain, "What a pussy."

* * *

Aella couldn't decide whether to be impressed, terrified or confused. Ares was down, Naruto staring at her brother crumpled and beat up at the bottom of a crater. She called from the edge of the clearing. "There'll be more. And he could re-spawn at any time." She walked up to edge of the crater, trembling at the orange eyes that were blank with unconsciousness. "We need to get you out of here."

He looked at her with an eyebrow raised. "I can take them."

"Maybe the first time. Maybe if you got lucky." She snarled him down, "If they happened to go godly on you - you'd be incinerated until not even ashes remained. And then Kurama would be my problem - free to roam as he pleases killing millions of people on a whim."

He snarled at her, "I've taken down armies more powerful than this little-"

She grabbed him by the collar and pulled him down to eye level, thrusting her hand into his face, a teeny tiny spark glowing in her palm, brighter and hotter than any beach in California. He shut his eyes and turned his face away from the heat as his skin began to turn red. He had a hand on her wrist, trying to push her away, but she moved closer to him with every word. "Don't. Get. Cocky." She moved without effort, against him and all the chakra he was willing to use on her, until the little ball of light was nearly up his nose. She closed her hand and growled. "Naruto Uzumaki - welcome to the Big Leagues. You don't understand the rules of the game and you're still trying to play. This isn't Street Fighter or Super Mario. You only get one life as you may as well use it to do something right."

He snarled and she growled him down, eyes turning ice blue, her pupils becoming slitted. "Come on. I'm your cheat code." She smiled cheekily, listening to the storm she had created that morning begin to rip through the coastline. "Use me to your advantage."

Naruto sighed and the chakra shroud disappeared from around him. He his face became one that a person in thought would use.

Finally, he spoke and it was in a serious voice, "You need to go back to wherever you stay for the time being. I'll go back to my apartment. Meet me there when you think it's safe."

Aella's eyes became worried, "No! You need to come with me. We'd be safer together. They'd find you in heartbeat and you won't be as lucky when they do."

Naruto laughed, "I'll be fine. My apartment is plenty safe for me. Trust me. I have insurance. They can't touch me. Not unless I directly challenge them."

Aella growled, "What makes you so sure?" He was being cocky again.

Naruto scratched at his shirt where Athena's pendant was tucked under his shirt, "Just trust me. I'll be fine." He disappeared in an orange flash and then reappeared moments later with an odd tri-pronged kunai in his hand.

He held it out to her, "Here. Take this. If you need me just throw it into the ground near you and I'll be there in a flash."

Aella took it skeptically, "I don't think it will work where I'm going."

Naruto chuckled, "Trust me. It will. I see you later." He leaned down and kissed her on the cheek before disappearing back to his apartment. Aella blushed and disappeared in a mist.

* * *

Naruto sighed tiredly and down cross legged on his bed. He had just taken a shower and he was tired. His hands folded in his lap and he closed his eyes. Almost in an instant he was transported into his mindscape. He walked through the bars of the gate and up to his friend. He sighed and tapped on the nose of the giant fox.

"It's time to wake up, buddy."

Kurama's red eyes opened slowly before they focused on Naruto. His maw opened wide and he yawned loudly, "Why do you wake me, Naruto. Who is it that we must fight? Sasuke is dead, isn't he?"

Naruto nodded and jumped onto his friend's snout and crouched down so he could look him in the eyes, "Yes, but a lot has happened since then." And he went into the long, weird, story of how he got into this new world and what had happened since he had. They were talking for countless hours.

Finally, Naruto fell silently and Kurama finally spoke, "That is a lot to take in, Naruto, but I agree with your deal with the Wisdom goddess. Very honorable, if a little foolish."

Naruto nodded but then frowned, "But we aren't biggest kids in the schoolyard anymore, Kurama. At least not as we are now. We need to start working together again. No more sleeping."

Kurama huffed, "Yes, that is very true. But do not count us out. They have never dealt with us before. They obviously don't know what they are dealing with if your fight with that bastard war god is anything to go by. I wonder if they can even be killed."

Naruto laughed, "I made Ares bleed. If he can bleed then he can die. I hope it doesn't come to that though." Kurama chuckled.

Naruto sighed and stood up, "Well, I've rested for long enough. It should be morning if not noon by now. I'll loosen the seal." Kurama nodded and stretched. This was going to be interesting. Naruto faded from his mindscape and opened his eyes in the real world.

He stood up and lifted his shirt to expose the seal. The finger on his right hand glowed with blue chakra and he pressed them into the seal on his stomach before twisting it loose a decent amount. He sighed and felt his chakra and Kurama's meld together. It was a pleasant feeling even if it was a little weird. He sighed and walked into the living room before sitting on the couch. He picked up the baby book and continued from where his clone left off.

"You still don't know the rules of the game, do ya, kid?"

Hades smirked, watching the kid jump, throwing the baby book down on the table and pulling something sharp out of his pocket.

"Who are you? How'd you get in here?!"

"Name is Hades, Lord of the Dead. Hi, how you doin'?" The blonde looked confused.

"You're the man that took Aella in. You're her surrogate."

He frowned, green eyes flashing. "Well... I hate to tell you this, bucco... But you see, my priorities have shifted recently, and instead of having a beautiful daughter - I got these." He locked eyes with the blonde, unafraid. Between his fingers ran a river of tiny cut gems that glittered in the sunlight, sapphires, rubies, diamonds and emeralds.

The blonde growled. "You traded her for jewelry?"

"Not just jewelry. A wonderful little toy that makes a certain idiotic shinobi appear wherever I need him to." He threw the three pronged kunai into the floor and wound up. Naruto disappeared, then opened up into an uppercut he was not prepared for. This happened twice more until the ninja got a hold of the dark man's arm and twisted it behind his back in a powerful hold. Hades sighed. "And she thought you were Big League material..."

There was a shock wave that Naruto didn't just see and feel, but tasted as he slammed through the wall, drywall crumbling into his hair. He coughed, the taste of iron heavy on his tongue.

A voice from his past called through the dust, grumbling. "Stay out of my way. Loser."

At the mention of loser, there were a thousand voices pressing on his mind, echoing the word and choice others, laughing. Laughing. Laughing at him. Naruto looked around at the bronze weaponry, selecting a katana and smoothly sliding it from its wooden sheath, a snarl on his face.

"Loser!" "Freak!" "Loser!" The laughter, the constant laughter. He launched through the dust, howling a challenge and found... A whole lotta nothing.

No voices, no creepy dark man, nothing. He frowned, and turned to the balcony, pulling open the curtains.

"Miss me?" Hades growled as his hiding place was revealed. He didn't flinch as the katana swung at his head, and watched as the weapon passed right through him, several times, much to the confusion of the blonde. He laughed. "Hard to kill when we're immortal. Ain't we?"

Hades seized the blonde by the front of the jacket and pulled him close. "This apartment is heavily guarded. She cannot come to you here. Go to her instead." His eyes turned kind. "Listen now and listen well. She's fine. But the rules only get more complicated. You'll last longer with a teammate at your side." He pressed the three pronged kunai into Naruto's hands. "Not hundreds of miles below ground."

"Are you my ally?"

Hades chuckled. "The way she talks about you - I'd like to think so." The dark man dropped his voice, "Go to her apartment. You'll be safer there - for now." He vanished into a shadow of smoke that sunk into the ground.

Aella pestered him with questions. "Does he get it? Did you hurt him?"

Hades rolled his eyes, sipping nectar from a tall glass. "I can never be sure, Aella. I can never be sure."

* * *

Naruto sighed and started to pack clothes and sharp things into a large duffle bag. The last thing he put in was Hinata's jacket. He smiled and held it to his nose for a moment before placing it in the bag. He slung the bag over his shoulders and walked into the living room. He picked up the baby book people kept keeping him from reading.

He grabbed his car keys and walked out of his apartment.

About twenty minutes later Naruto was staring at the door to Aella's apartment. He debated whether or not he should knock. He could just pick the lock. But wanted to know if she was at the apartment or not so he stood perfectly still so he could gather natural chakra. While he was doing this he was reaching out to see whether there was anything alive in the apartment. There wasn't. So he picked the lock and walked in.

He didn't even begin to look around the apartment. Instead he he just found her living room and sat on the couch. Just as he was about to start reading again, he heard a voice in his head. A voice that wasn't Kurama's.

"_Naruto? Are you alive? If you are think your response back to me."_

"_Akila?"_

"_Oh, good. Where are you right now?"_

Naruto smirked. She sounded worried.

"_I'm at Aella's apartment."_

Akila grumbled with distaste inside his mind, _"I still don't know what you see in that woman. But that is beside the point. Thanks to Aella you are most likely going to be receiving a daughter soon."_

Naruto's eyes widened. He had been hoping that Freddie would see the light. What had Aella done to assure that he didn't?

"_What happened?" _He asked in a quiet tone. Akila then retold the events that took place at the meeting.

Naruto sighed. He felt that he was ready. As long those pesky gods left him alone. Monsters he could handle. Gods? Not yet.

"_Will you tell me when she appears? Or if Freddie rejects her?" _Naruto asked suddenly.

"_Yes." _And with that said Akila fell silent.

Naruto rubbed his temples and groaned. But then his eyes lit up and he started reading with renewed enthusiasm.

* * *

As the day turned dark and the city began to die, Aella put her book down and began to collect things for her visitor's bed. She threw pillows and sheets into an ever growing pile in the hall as she pawed through the closet in her bedroom. He was so absorbed in learning about babies, he didn't notice until she pulled the lever on the back of the futon that suddenly had him sprawled on his back, frowning up at her.

"Can I help you?"

She jacked her thumb over her shoulder to the bathroom. "Your bag is in there. Go have a shower. I'll make your bed."

"I'm busy. I'm learning stuff."

"You are also stinking up my apartment." She snatched the book from him. "Go on. If you need anything, holler for me." She left his book on the coffee table. She picked up a sheet and began to unfold it, snapping it several times to get the creases out of it.

"AELLA!"

He was standing right behind her, and she jumped. "What?!"

He smiled. "Can I have my book?"

She picked the book off the table, and walked up to him, smiling back. She presented it with both hands. He reached out to take it and she frowned, and started to batter him madly over the head and shoulders with it. He bolted into the bathroom and locked the door. She pounded on it furiously then shouted through it. "I win!"

She thought she heard a chuckle come through the door, but wasn't sure, and she left the book by the door as she went back to making his bed. when finished plumping the pillows and tucking the dark blue comforter into place, she pressed her ear against the door of the bathroom, listening for the sounds of running water. She heard them, and ducked quickly into her bedroom to retrieve a long black box from beneath her bed. She pulled the lid off and smiled at what greeted her, a black blade with silver grips, which she removed gently from the box. She carried it blade down into her living room, and clearing space by moving the coffee table out of the way, took up a defensive stance, with her body crouched low, blade protecting her chest and neck. She sighed, clearing her mind.

She sprang forward, pivoting on her right foot and flinging the blade down with both hands and a sharp exhalation. She inhaled again, and the blade swung through the air, singing with speed, until she arched it in a C that was meant to get beneath armour and tear it away. Then pulling a dagger from her pocket, she brought both blades down together, smashing her opponent in the head, before kicking him over. She then growled, facing another with a mace. He swung it in both hands, coming at her with bloodlust in his eyes. He swung for her head and she bent backward, springing onto her hands as she kicked him in the chin, sending him reeling. She landed on her feet, and stepped forward, the tip of her blade tearing him open from navel to chest. She imagined his guts spilling out of his abdomen. It made her smile, then when his mace dropped and he curled up in pain, presenting the back of his neck like a criminal on the executioner's block. She took the opportunity to sever his head from his shoulders, smiling as his make believe blood spattered her face. She kept going, defeating a spearman by knocking the spear aside, pivoting inwards on her left foot and driving the blade up into his heart. She was about to finish her routine when a bronze blade came singing through the air in her peripheral vision. She parried, sparks flying and dodged away.

She ended up crouched on the coffee table, staring at Naruto, who wore nothing but a towel, a katana clutched in his hands. He grinned, "Pretty impressive, for a girl."

She felt her nose wrinkle as she bared her teeth. "You get points for first blood and for winning. You also get points for blocking a blade and attacking instead of dodging." She hefted her blade in both hands, smirking. "If I win - you owe me a cup of coffee. If you win..."

He smiled. "I get a favor from you."

"Deal." They shook on it, and retreated to opposite sides of the room, where both took up defensive stances. She cleared her throat and took a deep breath. They eyed each other for a long time, assessing one another. Then Naruto snarled, taking matters into his own hands and charged her. She smiled, remaining perfectly still until he was nearly upon her, before thrusting her blade forward suddenly, causing him to stop, otherwise risk getting impaled. She batted the katana aside when he attacked and spun inward on herself, blade held close. When he lunged forward again, swinging with both hands, she shoved him aside, and her blade nicked him from his left armpit to the middle of his back.

He snarled at the burning sensation, and he suddenly got fast. Not arrow fast, but bullet fast, resulting in nearly five minutes of her dodging around him in a frantic dance until she didn't bend backward quite fast enough to avoid his blade coming at her right hip, where it scratched her lightly, blood beading on her skin.

She did some mental math and frowned. He was winning. He grinned down on her and continued to attack her, and she managed to draw blood on his chest, with a diagonal cut that started at his collarbone. Both of them had started to sweat, and he snarled. "I just took a shower!"

"Get over yourself, pretty boy!" She slashed violently and he recoiled, stumbling on the rug. She drove him backward until his knees hit the table, and she abandoned her sword, and tackled him, flipping him over. When they landed, she was quick to put all of her weight in the small of his back and took his wrist in hand, beating it against the floor until he released the katana, which she tossed over her shoulder and heard it stick in the wood of the floor. She grabbed a handful of his hair and wrenched back, pressing her dagger to his throat. He grumbled something and she whispered in his ear. "I didn't catch that, sweetie."

"You win. I'll buy you coffee."

She shook her head. He flinched as her breath tickled his ear. "You have more points for all the dodging you made me do. You win." She kissed the space just beneath his earlobe, on his neck, and he shivered. She got up carefully then helped him up.

When both of them had settled into bed, weapons tucked away, wounds cleaned, and reading, a storm came in from the Pacific. Aella just tuned it out and fell asleep, curled up in layers of satin and fine pillows. She did not dream, thankfully.

* * *

A loud clap of thunder startled her from sleep around one thirty. She rolled over, frowning upon the fact she had been disturbed, and saw something strange. There was light seeping through the bottom of her door. She got up and walked out to where Naruto was sleeping. She sighed and saw the blankets shift. He was probably asleep. She flinched as another loud peal of thunder rolled from the clouds. The blankets shifted again. She turned out the light and he screamed.

"Turn it back on! Turn it on!"

She did, confused. When the light came up, she saw him sitting bolt upright, clutching at a light lavender sweater, his eyes red. He was shaking with fear as he buried his face in the fabric, trembling. He pulled the blankets over his head and started to rock back and forth, crying. She walked toward him, and when she sat beside him and put her hand on his shoulder, he grabbed her wrist, and looked at her with the eyes of a trapped animal, frantic, alone, and terrified.

Naruto kept looking at her with those eyes until he winced and held his head. Aella looked at him with concern.

"You okay?"

He smiled and the look faded from his eyes, "Yeah. The fox snapped me out of it." Still. The name calling wasn't necessary.

Aella frowned, "What was that about?"

Naruto sighed and rubbed his shoulder, "The dark gives me flashbacks sometimes. Those days that I wrote about were pretty terrifying even if I wouldn't admit it to myself. War isn't pretty, something I'm sure you know already."

Aella just nodded before smiling, "Let's play the question game again. We never finished. And I do believe it's my turn."

Naruto just grinned and gestured for her to ask her question.

"Ummmm. Ah! Okay. So you seem pretty interested in reading about babies. Would you be ready for a kid?"

Naruto scratched his chin but nodded, "Yep. I've always wanted a family of my own. Comrades and friends are close but it's not the same. I know it would be hard at first but I believe I would be a good dad."

Aella smiled. He was so happy when he was talking about it.

Naruto looked at her, "So. What about you? Would you ever have kids?" He needed to know this answer.

Aella seemed startled by the question, "I don't know. I'm pretty messed up. I don't really think I'd make a good mom. I'd be too overprotective."

Naruto smirked at her and laid back down on the futon. Aella followed his movement and snuggled into his side. He looked down at her and grinned, "Being overprotective wouldn't make you a bad mom. It just means you care." Aella shrugged in response.

Aella looked up at him, "What exactly did you promise to Akila? I saw the pendant and I know what it means."

Naruto raised his eyebrow in slight surprise, "You saw that, huh? Well, I promised that I would take care of her and Freddie's kid if he didn't feel inclined to."

Aella huffed, "I guess I kinda made that a certain thing, didn't I?" Damn, she had basically helped Athena out with that curse. Her kid would get a better father anyway.

Naruto chuckled, "I don't know whether to thank you or scold you for doing something so utterly insensitive."

Aella grumbled, "Insensitive? How?"

Naruto flicked her in the ear which got a surprised yelp out of her, "Because you almost forced a horrible thing on an innocent child. I don't care how much you don't like Athena, going that low over a vendetta is never ok." Aella thought about it and lowered her eyes in shame. He was right.

"I suppose that was kinda harsh of me. I should apologize."

Naruto laughed, "You make an apology? That doesn't seem likely."

Aella smirked, "Yeah, you're right. I'll think of something. Maybe I'll get her nice owl down pillow. As a peace offering." Naruto chuckled before closing his eyes. Her silence lulled him to sleep.

Aella thought of another question, "If I told you that I could talk to Hinata. What would you say?" She frowned when he didn't say anything.

"Naruto?"

She looked up and saw him sleeping peacefully. She smiled. It was probably for the best that he hadn't heard her. Just as she wasn't about to go back to her own bed Naruto's arm wrapped around her waist and pulled her closer to him. She panicked at first but then realized that he wasn't holding her there. He had just moved her. She bit her lower lip and debated in her mind before finally she hesitantly laid her head down on his chest and snuggled down. She sighed in contentment and let his heartbeat send her back to sleep.

* * *

Aella blinked awake on a particular day she hated. She closed her eyes, and willed the world to go back to sleep and forget this day all together. When the pink and red hearts flew in the wind like leaves. When everyone either felt massive amounts of love or felt like the crying potato. She sighed and buried her face in her pillow, feeling a little resistance from Naruto's arm wrapped around her waist. He grumbled and pulled her back to him, his body spooned gently around hers. She sighed and closed her eyes with a soft smile. It had been a few months since their incident with the thunder and the dark, but having him beside her felt...

He murmured her name softly and grinned. "Aella..." He made tiny motions like he was shaking his head. "Aella."

She grinned and closed her eyes. It felt right. He inhaled sharply, and she knew he was waking up. He let go of her to stretch, then returned, kissing her cheek and shaking her shoulder gently. "Aella. Aella, time to get up." She didn't respond, wondering what he would do next in an attempt to 'wake' her. He gently ran his fingers along her spine several times, pausing once to gently push her sweats down about half an inch so he could trace the shape of the tattoo just where a bundle of nerve endings were close to the skin. He did this several times, raising goosebumps on her skin until she started to tremble. He then let her roll onto her back and he saw her eyes, which were genuinely weirded out. He laughed at her, and she frowned at him.

"That wasn't funny."

He stifled his laughter long enough to speak. "You're the colour of a beet, Aella."

At that, she felt the heat of the blood rushing through her face. "Shut up."

"Come on..." He frowned, "You forgot, didn't you?"

"Forgot what?"

"Alpine Meadows?"

She paled. "Holy Hera, I forgot." This spawned another round of laughter from him as she turned frantic, hunting through the apartment for her skiing equipment. While she got a bag together, he made a light breakfast, coffee once again letting its scent drift through her apartment. She threw her stuff by the door, a duffle bag and a suitcase, along with her equipment. He was sitting at the kitchen table finishing what was probably his third or fourth cup. She picked up a magazine, rolled it tightly and thwacked him on the head, making him sputter. "Thanks for the help."

He coughed, smiling. "You're welcome."

Once they managed to cram all they needed for a weekend in the mountains into his car, they were off, the road winding before them, radio cranked up and windows rolled down. After about fifteen quiet minutes on the Interstate, he offered her his hand. She smiled and took it, fingers lacing.

* * *

They stumbled into a log cabin far from the main road, clutching at each other and shivering. Both of their suits were covered in snow and they were soaked to the bone, having been on the hills for nearly six hours without a break. They looked at each other and laughed.

"Dibs on the tub." Aella smirked, knowing about the huge soaker tub in the washroom.

Naruto frowned, "Fine." But there was a cheeky sparkle in his eyes that Aella didn't like.

She stripped down to her long johns and hung everything else by the fire, which Naruto lit with ease. She bolted into the bathroom and immediately turned on the hot water, filling the room with clouds of steam, sighing with delight she unwrapped the complimentary bar of soap, which smelt of green tea and honey. She sighed, and found candles along the edge of the tub, which she lit with excitement as she adjusted the tap water to the perfect temperature. The clouds of steam made her feel like the bathroom was floating as she stepped over the edge of the soaker and sat in the deepwater, feeling the blood return to her extremities, and the candles started to give off more of the green tea scent.

The lights in the bathroom suddenly went out. The door opened, then closed. There was the sound of cloth sliding over skin and she froze, a bunch of shampoo in her hand. There was a soft splash and Naruto whispered. "I'm cold too."

She sat very, very still as the shampoo leaked through her fingers. His hand gently found hers beneath the water and asked softly. "May I?" She nodded, and he picked up the shampoo in one hand and started to massage it into her scalp, tilting her chin up to keep it out of her eyes. She whimpered, leaning back into his shoulder, amazed at how good it felt. He was so gentle, but so sure in his movements, his breath slow and even. He helped her rinse the soap out of her hair, then handed her the shampoo.

"Now, you help me." He gently caressed her cheek, bringing her eyes to his. "Trust me?"

She nodded, and began to do as he did to her, but stopped when he growled softly under his breath. She stopped and backed away with a whimpered apology. "I didn't mean... I'm sorry I hurt you..."

He shook his head, tilting his head back to look at her upside down. "It wasn't that kind of growl, Aella."

She frowned. "There is the angry growl, the scared growl... The hurt growl..."

He whispered tenderly. "The 'that feels good, don't stop' growl." He rinsed the soap out of his own hair and moved to Aella slowly, his blue eyes focused on her intently. She was hypnotized by his movement, and when he sat beside her and nuzzled at her neck and jaw, she gave him what she wanted without even thinking about it. He began to kiss her throat sending shivers up and down her spine as he worked his way slowly across her jaw to her lips, gently teasing her, his hands sliding up and down her arms until he held her hands gently, lifting them so her hands were clasped behind her neck and they got much closer. She felt a tingle run through her body and as she began to participate more eagerly, he growled again. He moved back to her neck, growling softly the entire time, and she felt her hands travel through his wet hair and pull on the strands. His back arched and on her neck, he stopped moving suddenly and sucked, hard.

He pulled away, eyes flashing with something like pride.

She gently touched the spot on her neck and her face flushed. It was tender and it felt hot to her touch. A hickey. He'd given her a hickey in the bathtub.

He moved toward her again and whispered. "Don't look away. Look at me." He began to caress her, his eyes watching her face. He moved slowly, so not to startle her, and kissed her again, gently parting her lips and exploring her with his teeth, his lips, his tongue. When she returned his attentions, her hands wrapping around his neck of their own accord, her body straining to meet his. He placed a hand on her belly, between her hips. She froze at the pressure, and noticed what her body was doing. She blushed and meant to cast her face away, lowering her eyes but he whispered, "No."

She trembled and looked at him as he began to pet her, gently at first, making her arch into his hand, then a little more roughly, silencing her cries with his words, his lips. She began to tremble as he spoke to her softly, his voice husky with hunger.

"Aella. Look at me. Don't look away. Look at me."

Her back arched, her jaw locked, her fists balled tightly by her sides, and she screamed. When she looked away, she began to mutter. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry... I should have asked for permission... I'm sorry..."

Naruto gently touched her face, and she looked back. He had such tenderness in his eyes. Such passion, focused on her, and her alone. "You're beautiful. So beautiful. You'll never need to ask permission. Never again." He hugged her, and his eyes began to burn with hunger. "You know I would never hurt you."

She nodded. They towel dried each other, and he picked her up bridal style and carried her to bed, watching her the whole time. Both partners were ready and accepting, and as he lowered her to the mattress, she did not shiver with fear. She knew what he wanted from her, but this time, she was a willing partner, not to be pinned down or tied up. Instead of mounting her, like she expected, he propped up several pillows and leaned back against them, pulling her onto him, giving her control. She kissed him thankfully, and accepted him with a startled gasp as he pulled her down on him, exerting the little bit of control he could as his eyes glassed over with pleasure.

She allowed him to enjoy the heat and pressure before rocking backward. He groaned and kept trying to sit up to hold her, but she pushed him down every time. He seemed to not get the message and kept trying to sit up, the pair of them as close as they could get as humans. They came close to the edge together, and when she melted into a puddle of goo, he managed to sit up and he rolled them so he had the leverage, and began to thrust for his turn to melt. She encouraged him from the edges of her daze, and when he collapsed on her, thrusting madly, she held him tight. It was a hot, sticky, and wonderful union.

When she pushed him off, he rolled to one side, but opened his arm for her, eyes clouded. She curled up next to him and drifted off immediately, his fingers caressing the darkened skin in the small of her back.

* * *

Naruto was the first to awake in the morning and he knew something was off when he couldn't sit up. His eyes popped opened and he noticed that his entirely chest was covered in really dark brown hair. A few stray strands would rise up every time Aella breathed. He smiled and started to trace patterns on her bare back.

"So it actually happened last night?" Naruto asked himself in a whisper. He to admit that part of him believed that it was dream. And another part of him was sad that it happened. And this was because their actions in the night sealed his fate. He was absolutely sure that he was now totally in love with the woman on his chest. And he knew that she wouldn't be able to stay. Athena said that was against the rules. Plus she was immortal. She would outlive him anyway. He sighed sadly but then smiled. Meh. He would take what he could get. Why couldn't he enjoy the time they had now? Fuck, Zeus.

So he slowly shook her awake with a smile, "C'mon Beautiful. Wake up."

He watched her slowly lift her head from his chest where he could clearly see a little puddle of drool. Which was gross but cute in a weird way. She reached up and moved the hair out of her face before she locked eyes with him. He smirked, "Did you sleep well?"

She didn't answer but instead looked around their sleeping space. The sheets and comforters were ruffled badly and neither one of them were wearing clothes. No clothes?! Oh, dear gods. They had sex didn't they? Oh, gods...

Naruto found her facial expressions amusing. It went from 'I just woke up', to 'Dear Kami, where are my clothes?', then to 'I better not have', and finally to 'Oh Kami I did. Didn't I?!'

Aella made a familiar 'eep!' sound and her face turned as red as a fire hydrant before she jumped off the bed and made a beeline for the bathroom, giving Naruto a very nice view in the process.

Naruto laughed at how much seemed like Hinata just then. He smiled and put on some sweats before going to the bathroom and walking in.

Aella wouldn't meet his eyes and she appeared to be embarrassed.

He sat down next to her and took her hand, "Aella talk to me. What's wrong?"

She still wouldn't meet his eyes but she seemed insecure, "Was I bad? I was bad wasn't I? I didn't do anything right. I didn't ask permission or-"

Naruto leaned around and cut her off with a kiss, "Shush. You were great. More than great. You are beautiful and there aren't any rules to love."

Aella's eyes widened. Did he just say that? She had been wanting to hear that for so long but was too scared to accept it. She smiled slightly to herself.

Naruto smirked, proud that he had gotten through to her. He grinned, "So how was I? I'm surprised that you can still walk."

Aella looked at him and mirrored his smirk, "You were, ok. For a mortal anyway. But don't get cocky. I'm not weak in the knees or anything." Naruto frowned before he grinned deviously. He stood up and swept her into his arms and walked back to the bedroom.

"Oh. So you're pulling the mortal card, huh. You're going to be eating those words in a few hours."

Aella looked nervous at first before she laughed mockingly, "A few hours? I bet you could barely last a few minutes."

Naruto raised an eyebrow, "Do you forget what's sealed inside of me? I'm like a battery that can recharge itself."

Aella's eyes widened, "Now wait, Narut-" She didn't get to finish. Naruto had already sealed her mouth with his own.

* * *

There had been many weekends like that one. She had many experiences like that one he had promised her, hours and hours. But her training came in handy, because she hadn't just been trained, she had been taught. And now, she was the teacher, introducing fellatio, little things that vibrated, and her wide collection of lingerie that he enjoyed every time.

But in May, something incredible happened. They had been cuddling together on an early Sunday morning after a long, hot and heavy run, when he sat up, looking frantic. He shook her shoulder. "Aella. Quickly. We're going to need baby stuff. Diapers. Food."

She asked angrily, "You didn't think of this ahead of time?!"

"I thought I had nine months!"

She rolled her eyes. "With Athena it's almost instantaneous. You're going to be getting a kid nearly five months old."

He whimpered and threw on his clothes, stopping to kiss her on his way by.

When he returned about an hour later, Aella was in their room, putting together an IKEA crib with a good mattress. She frowned, and then smiled as she screwed the last part into place. She began to put it together in a soft green colour decorated with ladybugs. She despised pink.

* * *

He shouldered his way through the door, eyes wet. "She's sick..." He set a small bundle, not nearly the size of a four or five month old baby in the center of the bed and ran for the bookshelf, eyes frantic. He began to flip through the book, looking for something useful while Aella picked up the tiny child and unwrapped her. Her belly was swollen and her mouth was dry. She looked at Aella with grey eyes and started to cry, her head covered with fine, downy blonde hair.

Naruto still flipped through his book. Aella growled at him, "She isn't sick. She's starving. Go heat up some formula for her. It's in the cupboard over the microwave - but don't you dare microwave it!" He hurried to do as she asked, heating the formula in a pot of water over the stove. Aella called, "Put it in a bowl - I don't know if she's strong enough to suck it out of a bottle." He made a small sound and did as she asked.

He put the bowl next to Aella, who, taking a few drops of lukewarm formula on her finger, smeared the liquid on the girls lips with a tender hand. A teeny pink tongue flicked out and licked it away. Aella repeated this several times before taking a facecloth from the bathroom and soaking it in the formula, putting the corner into the little girls mouth. She sucked feebly, and Aella rewarded her by squeezing a little of the formula into her mouth. Aella looked at Naruto who was hovering at her elbow. "Understand?"

He nodded and took over, as Aella continued to set up the corner nursery, finishing it with a small mobile that played, "Claire de la Lune" furnished with seven small silver owls that chased each other around a harvest moon.

By then, Naruto had her cradled on his shoulder, burping her gently. The bowl was empty and he asked softly, "How did you know?"

Aella looked at the small bundle and shook her head. "I... I don't."

When she was burped and laid down for a nap, Aella watched from the door, ashamed of herself. What had that helpless little child done to deserve a curse like the one she had put on her? She sighed and turned away, when Naruto touched her hand. He gestured for her to look at the sleeping bundle. He whispered, putting an arm around her waist. "Her name is Annabeth." His eyes were tender. "She's mine no-" he broke off, then tilted Aella's chin up to look at him. "She's ours now."

* * *

Now, it was nearly July, and Annabeth had grown considerably. She learned quickly, and Aella had been telling her stories every night in a different language. When Naruto asked why, Aella responded with a mysterious, "It keeps her brain active."

Naruto was sitting on the floor one day, typing out his latest plot bunny while keeping an eye on Annabeth. To his surprise, she sat up, and tossed her rattle out of reach. She whimpered and pointed at it, wanting it back. When he continued typing, intent on finishing his sentence, she wailed. "Paaa..." He looked up with a startled jump as Aella laughed at his meek retrieval of the rattle.

That night, when Aella put Annabeth down, Naruto was in the shower. Aella looked at Annabeth, and turned on the owls, and began to whisper to her in English, "There once was a small boy named Andrew. Now he was a very poor boy, and lived all by himself in a cabin in the woods, with only his mice friends for company..."

"The mice people were very kind to Andrew, and wanted the best for him. So, when they got word from a wizard who could talk to the mice people, that an evil king was running the land with an iron fist, they were very scared. They told Andrew right away, not wanting him to get hurt. The evil kings armies were not very far away, the wizard had said, and they were preparing to attack the forests."

She heard the water shut off, but continued.

"That night, a great fire ravaged the forests, burning the homes of all who lived there, even Andrew's. when the mice people perked out of their holes in the morning, all they found was silver ashes scattered everywhere, and Andrew laying on his bed, which had been crushed by the ceiling, moaning and groaning. His back was broken, and there was nothing the mice people could do to fix it."

The sink began to run, cutting Aella off. Annabeth whimpered, her grey eyes pleading in her small face.

"The wizard appeared then, and told Andrew to get up. He was scared, telling Andrew that he was the only one who could defeat the evil king. Andrew groaned at the wizard, telling him that he couldn't move. His back hurt him so much, and how could any poor boy who lived in the woods have any hope of defeating an evil king? The wizard presented Andrew with a magic suit of fine clothes and an enchanted sword that glittered bright blue. If wizard said that if Andrew used them, he would become a good prince that would defeat the evil king. The mice people took the clothes from the wizard and helped Andrew into them, and the magic woven into the fine silk healed his spine, forever. The good prince Andrew took his sword from the wizard, and promised to avenge the forest he had lived in for so long, as well as everything that had lived in it with him and his friends, the mice people."

Annabeth was out cold now, sleeping happily beneath her owls, but Aella's tale was not done. She heard the bathroom door creak, but made nothing of it.

"The good prince marched the head of the evil king's army, full of goblins and ghouls and spiders. The king looked like Hephaestus' nightmare, wrought of iron that glowed on the edges and smoking orange eyes that burned straight to his soul. But the good prince was not afraid of the evil king. He took up his magic sword and fought the king to the death. Just as all hope was lost and the good prince about to meet his end, the mice people rode in knocked over the evil king, stealing his weapon from his grasp, and leaving him defenseless. Once again, the good prince took up his enchanted sword and put the tip, into the evil king's chin, and said..."

Naruto took her hand and smiled. "And said?"'

"Something very forgettable." She smiled cheekily. He kissed her, and lead her out into the living room where they sat on the couch. Before he could turn on the television, Aella whispered. "Naruto..."

He looked at her and frowned. "What's wrong?"

She inhaled sharply. "If I told you that I can control to conceive right here, right now... What would you do? Would you want...?" She looked away, flushing with embarrassment. "Would you want me to carry our child?"

He inhaled slowly, and she prepared herself for the worst. When he answered, it was a nod, a soft, spoken word, and a kiss to seal the deal as he helped her out of her clothes, and she helped him out of his.

* * *

The next four months were hectic for Naruto. He had expected that Aella's pregnancy would be hectic and abnormal but he wasn't ready for the hormones or how quickly things escalated. She grew a baby bump very quickly and she would get cravings. Those were the most consistent symptoms. The growing and the eating. But then she would randomly get morning sickness and be sick in bed the entire day and the next she would be healthy enough to go on a warpath.

Naruto mainly just kept his mouth shut and played with Annabeth, who had continued to grow and learn. She could crawl and climb things but she had yet to master the art of walking independently. He was quickly surprised at how much she was starting to look like him. It was almost scary. He secretly wondered if Athena had done that on purpose.

But one of the most amusing things that Naruto found was Aella's irrational love for ramen. He had introduced it to her one day when he wanted something different for dinner. He had learned how to make it from his favorite ramen stand after the war. But Aella had taken to it like a fish to water even though Naruto constantly reminded her that it wasn't very nutritious or healthy.

His only saving grace was that Annabeth was a good baby. She normally slept all night and rarely cried. So he was able to get the sleep he needed to deal with the pregnant Goddess.

It was mid-November and Naruto was rocking Annabeth in his arms, trying to get her to sleep. He had already fed, burped, and changed her. He sighed and spoke softly to her, "You're a beautiful, do you know that?" She yawned cutely and closed her eyes. Naruto smiled and nuzzled his cheek against hers. He loved her so much that it hurt sometimes. He wondered if that was just part of being a parent.

Finally, she slipped into sleep and he set her down in the crib. He had renovated his storage room and turned it into a baby room. Half the room was decorated with silver owls and blue walls. Aella was working on the other side of the room. She had hung a tarp the separated Annabeth's side from the other. He wasn't allowed behind the tarp, something he constantly complained about. Then he heard a shout that made him jump out of his skin.

"NARUTO! My water just broke!"

His eyes widened and he looked towards the shout frantically, "What?! Right now?! The hell?!"

"Don't ask questions! Just get in here, you blond asshole!" He sighed. He was gonna need coffee. Lots of it.

* * *

Labor was long and hard. Naruto, if not hovering anxiously, was hiding with Annabeth in the baby room. When her cervix began to dilate, stretching to accommodate the child's head, he started to freak out on the inside, even though his exterior was strangely calm. Holding her hand, he sat beside her with his other hand on her rounded belly and his eyes on the clock. The contractions were getting stronger and were only about ten minutes apart. It had been almost ten hours since her water broke, and he was getting nervous about her energy levels. She could only draw on so much in her mortal form...

She grabbed his wrist and muttered something incoherent. He ran his fingers through her dark hair. She growled at him again. "Than... Parking lot. Help..."

He bolted from the room with the speed of lightning, and was gone. She rolled onto her stomach, squeezing her eyes shut against another contraction, gritting her teeth. Mortal births, she was told, were usually pretty easy. Immortal births didn't require carrying or delivery, only a wish between two partners to conceive. TADA! Baby. But these cross-species babies were hard to carry and often lost in the birthing process. Not to mention this was her first time carrying. "Only time carrying..." She vowed to herself. Her mind fought against her body as she felt an overwhelming desire to push.

She bit down on her lip until she tasted blood, then was caught by surprise when there was a loud thump and Annabeth crawled into the room, her grey eyes wide. She grabbed the edge of the bed and used it to pull herself up, hands reaching for Aella. She didn't say anything, but teetered dangerously before failing backward onto her well cushioned, diaper bum. Aella scooped the child up, hugging her tight, burying her face in her sweet-smelling hair for comfort. She tensed, and whimpered as a second contraction rolled through her, wishing Naruto would hurry the heck up.

Annabeth asked, "Where Pa?"

"Downstairs, honeybee. Why?"

She made a kissing sound and pointed at her elbow, where she had bumped into the leg of the table playing tag with Naruto. He had made it better with a kiss and a tickle, Aella had watched him. "Pa do. Pa do." She put a little warm hand on her surrogate mothers belly. Her little mouth fumbled on the next word, trying several times to make the right sound before giving up and saying, "Edó." Here. Annabeth hugged Aella tenderly.

Than burst through the door and Annabeth frowned. Aella began to cry with relief and enfolded him close to her, whimpering, "Make it stop... Make it stop..." He gently kissed her cheek, trying to comfort her, when Aella felt him being pushed away.

Annabeth said. "No. No Pa." She made her kissing sound and shook her head. "No." She pointed at Than. "No Pa."

Naruto stood laughing quietly in the doorway. He held several things in his hands, prepared at last.

Aella growled at him. "Quit laughing at me you fucktard. You try carrying someone else's spawn for nearly six months."

His eyes flared red with anger, but then quickly turned sober and humble. He left his supplies at the foot of the bed and pushed Than out of the way to kiss her. Annabeth giggled and covered her eyes, and Than feigned interest in Naruto's books.

He gently moved her down the edge of the bed, placing a pad not unsimilar to the ones on Annabeth's changing table under her bum and moved to wipe the sweat from her forehead with a damp cloth. "Trust me?" She nodded wearily. "We're gonna deliver a baby. You and me. Together."

She was leaning back on Than, his shoulders and chest a rather hard and bony, but useful, stack of pillows. Naruto was gently examining her, poking and prodding in ways that made her shiver happily. He smiled up at her cheekily and winked. He took her hand and whispered softly, "You're going to push on the next contraction. Long and hard. We'll count to ten." She nodded, not really caring anymore. She just wanted it to be over. She pushed and excruciating pain rocketed up her spine.

She screamed, crushing Naruto's hand in her own and squeezing Than's thigh with all her remaining strength. She ended that contraction panting. She whimpered, "How many more?"

He was silent, eyes wide with fear. "Erm..."

"Naruto! Answer me!"

He whispered softly. "She's come feet first." Annabeth poked her head out from behind Than's wings, her hands full of feathers.

Than whispered. "It's going to hurt a Hell of alot more, Aella."

She slumped, eyes full of tears. Annabeth disappeared again, playing in her tiny room filled with soft feathers.

The next half hour was filled with her screaming, Than making her move her hand as she got terrifyingly close to his no-no zone, and Naruto supporting a tiny body with no head to be seen. His hands were bloody. Her vision was blurring, and she was on the verge of unconsciousness. She felt the contraction come again and pushed as hard as she could, convinced she was going to die.

There was a great release of pressure and everyone fell silent. Then, rising and falling in the early morning, was the cry of a newborn. Aella started to cry with relief as the child was folded into her arms, and immediately began to suckle. Than moved away, letting Naruto take his spot so Aella and the baby could lean against him, as he watched with huge, protective eyes. Than tied off the umbilical cord and let Naruto cut it. He then walked out the door and closed it behind him.

Aella's eyes focused on the little girl when she stopped feeding and almost immediately after being burped, fell asleep. They couldn't be sure of eye colour for a few weeks, but Aella wanted her to have her father's blue eyes. Her hair was a light pinkish color, but would darken to a beautiful red when she got older.

Naruto whispered, his voice tentative, almost afraid. "Can I hold her?"

Aella hesitated before tucking the girl into Naruto's arms, with a soft reminder to mind her head.

He nodded. "I know." Then he turned and looked at the little girl tucked preciously into the crook of his elbow.

* * *

Naruto looked down with wonder at his new daughter, "Oh wow. Look at you." He felt his eyes begin to water and he smiled. Normally he would try to hold back tears but these were the good kind so he figured it was okay. Then he suddenly felt very calm and he felt a weight press in on his side. He looked to his right and saw the smiling face of his mother looking back up at him before she looked at the baby in his arms.

"She's beautiful, Naruto," Kushina said before she stretched up to kiss his cheek, "Good luck. I love you." And with that the image of his mother faded away and he was left feeling confused but happy. He looked at Aella to see if she saw it but she was asleep. She and the bed were clean and she was tucked neatly under the covers.

"Ah. Than must have done that," Naruto said quietly to himself before looking back at his daughter.

Naruto smiled down at her, "You need a name. Hmmm. How about Lucy? Yeah. I like Lucy. We'll see what your mother says though." And then he noticed something off about the baby that he didn't notice before. She had whisker marks! They weren't as dark as his but they were definitely visible.

Naruto looked on in confusion, "I thought that those were birthmarks caused by Kurama's chakra." And they were. The fox confirmed that himself. Naruto's eyes narrowed. That meant Lucy had a chakra system. And Kurama's chakra must have been so fused with him that some of it was passed onto her. He hadn't prepared for this outcome. He assumed that Aella's godliness would overpower his own DNA. Apparently not. And he didn't know what effect it would have on his child. Damn, he wished Tsunade was here.

He sighed and went to get Annabeth. He found her in her in her side of the baby room blinking furiously trying to stay awake. He grinned before walking over to her and picking her up. She didn't fight and instead fell asleep on his shoulder almost immediately. He set her down in the crib and tucked her in.

He headed back out to the living room and laid down on the couch with Lucy in his arms. He was sure that she be up and hungry in few hours so decided to get all the sleep he could. He sighed and slipped into blissful unconsciousness.

* * *

**YAY! The babies are here! **

**But a lot of other things happened. Ares got his ass beat. I hope that appeases some of you. And I know it was short but that was because Naruto caught him off guard. It won't happen like that again. The next fight will be longer.**

**And I think I need to explain how Hinata and Sasuke were in the Underworld. The way I see it is that Naruto's world and Percy's world are almost completely separate. Think of them like the continents North America and Africa. They are very different and separated. The only thing connecting the two is the Atlantic ocean. To me, the Underworld is the Atlantic ocean. It is so big and it basically has to be infinite. And if you really pay attention to the books you will understand that the Underworld isn't just a place for just the Greeks. IT's for everyone.**

**I mean think about how it is split up. You have the Fields of Punishment, The Fields of Asphodel, and Elysium. That's just for the Greeks. Now think about it from let's say a Christian's POV.**

**Fields of Punishment=Hell**

**Fields of Asphodel=Purgatory**

**Elysium=Heaven**

**Now the books don't actually hint at this but if you read into it's easy to see. And I don't really know if the people in Naruto have a certain religion. I've certainly never directly noticed one sans Hidan. But I figured that if a person or ninja in Naruto fights for their village and they uphold their duty correctly they get access to Elysium.**

**However, if they are bad people like Madara or Sasuke in this story then they get the Fields of Punishment. And you guys better remember that thing with Sasuke and Nemesis. It will be coming back to haunt Naruto.**

**Now onto how Naruto knows how to deliver babies. Well, that should be obvious. All ninja must know how to correctly deliver a baby. Because we all that when Kunoichi give birth SHIT GOES DOWN! And things usually explode so not just any doctor would do.**

**But in all honesty I mentioned that Naruto spent a lot of time around Tsunade and I'm sure she delivered her fair number of babies. DON'T QUESTION IT! ACCEPT IT!**

**Review. pls.**


	4. Chapter 4

Aella recovered quickly, and within a few weeks, a clear day broke through the constantly misty San Francisco winter. It was chilly, and they made sure to dress the girls warmly, Annabeth determinedly trying to do up her own coat. When Naruto made her stop, she frowned, but did not cry. Aella greatly appreciated the fact. There was enough crying around here with Lucy needing to be fed every four or five hours like clockwork. The little girl's hair had darkened, no longer pink, and her eyes lightened to ice blue as her whisker marks darkened ever so slightly. She was awake and burbling, staring up at her ceiling, which had been painted like a night sky, complete with constellations, clouds and a full moon. Aella picked her up gently, and her hands immediately wrapped into her mother's dark hair.

Naruto at first, had not approved of the paintings that covered the far side of her side of the room. It showed a nine-tailed red fox gently approaching something that looked fox-like, but was decidedly not. They were painted on a soft green background, noses nearly touching, and between them was a little nine-tailed kit with her paws reaching up for balance as she got on a level same as the other two fox-creatures.

"Kurama does not look like that."

She had frowned. "It's not Kurama."

"It isn't?"

"It's Naruto."

That had shut him up.

Lucy tugged on Aella's hair, bringing her back to the present. Naruto was grinning at her, and handed her what he had chosen for Lucy. A little orange one-sie that had butterflies decorating the snaps that held it closed. Annabeth had a fluffy pink sweater and jeans with little white moccasins that covered her feet warmly. Once the girls were dressed, the small family headed for a nearby park, Lucy held in a Snugli sack on Naruto's chest, Annabeth tottering along between her surrogate parents, trying her very hardest on her own, but whenever she fell down, she was scooped up and held by Aella until she demanded to be put down.

Annabeth squealed with delight when she saw who was waiting for them at the entrance to the park, sitting on a bench. "Gunca!" She was put down about three feet from him and he opened his arms to her, his pale face lighting up as she toddled toward him, toppling forward into his arms. He presented her with her prize, a long, black feather that she immediately began to stroke and rub against her face. They were, on a long, complicated stretch, cousins, but Than had expressed his distaste at that, so he became Gunca. Lucy was asleep on Naruto's chest, but Aella and Annabeth carefully hugged Than, who presented his aunt with a large coffee. She sighed her thankfulness, as did Naruto, when handed the same thing.

They began to walk through the park, talking softly.

"How are things on Olympus?"

Than bit his lip and sighed. "Poseidon has a new son. His name is Perseus." He took a sip of coffee and made a face. "What do you guys see in this stuff?"

Aella's eyes widened. "What did Zeus do about that?"

"Nothing yet. But this is one demigod he can't let go. The Pact of the Big Three won't let him."

Aella looked nervous, and picked Annabeth up again, gently stroking the girl's hair. Naruto frowned, and Lucy stirred against him, tearing his mind away from his question. She didn't cry, but she was uncomfortable. He could tell. Annabeth suddenly stopped playing with her feather, and got very close to Than who pulled her even closer, eyes narrowed. An old woman was walking down the path, talking to herself softly. She wore a long black dress and moved eerily, gliding over the concrete walkway.

She cooed at Lucy as she walked by. "Such beautiful little girls..." She reached out a hand, and she hissed at Annabeth, "Sssuch sssoft ssskin..." Her tongue was forked and her eyes were red.

Annabeth screamed and Than pushed her behind him as he tore off his coat, enveloping her in his wings. The woman's dress melted away to reveal something that was more than half snake, with a tail instead of legs and branched two wickedly sharp swords that matched her armour, except the blades were slathered in a poison that made them shimmer green.

Than drew a pocket knife from his jeans, and snapped it open, Annabeth concealed and supported within his closed wings.

Aella growled at the serpent lady as Naruto growled at Than. "Like that's gonna make a difference!"

Than grinned. "Things aren't always what they seem, shinobi." The blade snapped shut and elongated and curved into a wicked looking, serrated edged scythe. He stepped forward and challenged the dracæna, eyes narrowed.

* * *

In an instant a clone popped into existence beside Naruto and he quickly placed Lucy in the clones Snugli. The clone grabbed Aella's arm, picked up Annabeth out of Than's wings, and they quickly got out of the area. And just in time because ten more snake women advanced out of the trees.

Naruto reached behind back and unsheathed his trench knives that were strapped onto lower back under his shirt. They slid over his knuckles and he loosened himself up. He bounced on the balls of his feet and grinned at Than.

"Back to back or do you want to take them on separately?"

Than twirled his scythe around and cracked his neck, "Back to back, I have range and you have speed. It will make this easier. They are very skilled." Naruto nodded and slid around to cover Than's rear.

The snake warriors rushed from all directions and Than's twirled his scythe behind him causing Naruto to duck. But this worked in their favor because when he ducked, Naruto lashed out and sliced rapidly at the nearest dracæna's lower section before he planted his feet and thrusting his shoulder into her breastplate which sent the snake woman flying backwards.

Naruto rolled under Than's scythe as it cut a dracæna in half horizontally. The serpentine warrior disintegrated into dust. One down.

The blond jumped out of his roll and tackled one of his foes to the ground before he quickly buried one his trench knives into her skull with a satisfying squelch. He was a bit slow recovering from his attack and one of the serpents opened up a long gash down his left side. He growled in pain and got under her guard before his slashed her throat open. She fell to the ground and she and her sister turned to dust.

Naruto hissed in pain. Kurama's chakra wasn't working against the poison for some reason. His vision blurred for a second and he was nearly impaled by a trident. Luckily Than knocked the spear off course and killed the attacking dracæna with a swift kick to the neck.

"Naruto! Are you okay?"

Naruto nodded quickly and parried a slash, "Yeah. That one just cut me a little deeper than I thought." He ducked another slash and cut the offending limb off. The one that he had shoulder bashed earlier now had a spear and shield. Naruto frowned because she was advancing on Than and he was currently engaged. The blond slid his right trench knife off and threw it skillfully. The kive imbedded itself deeply in the serpent woman's neck just as she was about to attack with her spear.

His current opponent thrust with with her remaining arm which Naruto gracefully sidestepped. He grabbed the serpent's wrist and pulled her close. He wrapped his right arm around her neck in a tight hold before he wrenched his arm sharply and broke her neck with a crack. He threw her crumbling body into the dracæna directly behind him. This made her stumble which allowed Naruto to get inside her guard and bury his knife in her neck before ripping it out violently.

Than bisected one of the snake women with his scythe before whipping around and beheading the one to the right of him. The last remaining dracæna retreated quickly choosing to live rather than join her sisters. Than smirked and retrieved the trench knife that Naruto threw. He turned around, "That was good teamwork Naruto...? Naruto!" Said blond was on the ground unconscious and struggling to breathe.

* * *

Aella snarled at the clone. "Keep my kids safe." He nodded and sat down, starting to look a little misty around the edges.

Than roared. "Aella! Standby!" His eyes were determined, but scared.

Aella whimpered, but retreated back to the tree where the clone sat. Annabeth crawled into her lap, and touched her face. "Pa?"

"I dunno... I don't know..." She trembled, pulling the child closer, then took Lucy from the clone, snapping the Snugli securely around her waist before kissing her daughter's forehead. Lucy knew something was wrong when Mummy was holding her in the little pouch and not Pa. She whimpered, her blue eyes tearing, but she did not cry. Aella did.

* * *

Than sat next to Naruto, his legs crossed and wings spread. He was muttering under his breath, eyes turning white and glassy as he became blind. He felt his way carefully to the sight of the wound, the muscle receding from his fingers 'til they were naught but skin on bone. He continued to murmur, his fingers expertly tearing the scabs away, making him bleed again. He whimpered past his swollen tongue and clogged throat. Than pressed hard on Naruto's body in several places, his shoulders, his hips, and then his wrists, causing massive black bruises in those areas. The poison mixed with his blood in the grass.

Aella stepped forward, he could hear her movement in the grass. He turned and growled at her, not interrupting his chants. He stood over Naruto, and clouds descended on the what was once clear sky. Black thunderclouds that flashed with sparks of lightning. The grass retreated into the ground, as he sucked the life force out of the surrounding landscape, death spreading in a circle around the body of the blond, whose throat had finally sealed. He was dead, at least on a technicality. The chants had saved his spirit alongside Than's, and even now struggled to get free. The circle spread wider and wider as Than arched himself up to the heavens, presenting a lightning rod in the form of his scythe. The circle spread, Aella scrambling to get away from it.

Lightning flashed and the sound wave made Lucy wail and Annabeth scream. Aella was knocked off her feet, skidding to a stop against a tree, her back dripping with mud.

When she looked up again, Than had collapsed on Naruto's unmoving body, an orange smoke billowing up out of his trachea as he heaved dryly. Aella watched with a strange fascination as Than leaned forward and without hesitation locked lips with Naruto. She snarled, knowing that it wasn't a lover's kiss, rather a Kiss of Life, but still she reacted to it badly. Than heaved once, twice, then Naruto started to cough, as Kumara's chakra took over, reducing then eliminating the swelling in his throat and tongue, as well as the ragged gash in his side.

Than rolled onto his back, away from the rapidly recovering Naruto, then groaned as his body started to shake. He got about twenty seconds of calm, then descended violently into a seizure.

* * *

Aella handed Naruto Lucy, her eyes grateful and thankful. She hugged him tenderly, and he returned the hug gently, blinking away his confusion as he saw Than seizing on the ground. He stood frozen in shock as Aella secured her brother's head. She snarled at Naruto, "Don't you dare die on me again!" She whispered softly to Than, her hair falling like a curtain for his privacy.

Annabeth crawled through the mud toward Naruto, pulling herself up on his pant leg. She wailed, the storm scaring her. Than seized again, his feathers flinging mud everywhere, and the smell indicated he had either found some petrified dog turd to roll in or lost control of his bowels. Aella still whispered to him softly, calming him. She caressed his face gently and Than started to breathe normally, wanting to sit up.

She propped him up by shuffling forward, still gently talking to him, encouraging him. His gaze was dark and full of loathing as he looked around at the landscape he had drained for Naruto's life. He looked up through a curtain of straight dark hair, his lips thin. Than growled, "You're welcome."

Aella watched as Naruto's face grew stiff and stern as he stared down Death himself.

* * *

Naruto stared at Than for a minute or so, both their power levels steadily rising until finally Naruto broke out into a grin, "Thanks. You handle that scythe pretty well. We should spar some time." Thanatos nodded.

Naruto frowned, "What I don't understand is why Kurama couldn't fight the poison. He's been able to neutralize almost everything else."

Aella huffed, "That's because the poison was made for demigods. It's meant for people with godly blood. Something you don't have any of. Even Kurama wouldn't be able to fight something that strong."

Naruto made 'ah' noise, "So what was that about a Pact? Sounded serious."

Than sunk into the ground, something that put Naruto on guard and when he turned to Aella she saw walking towards the car. He frowned. They didn't want to talk about it. It must be more than serious.

When they little family got back to the apartment Naruto assured Annabeth that the 'scary lady' was gone and he put both the girls down for a nap after they were fed. Aella seemed to be avoiding him. He sighed and just started to type. It helped relieve the stress. Absent mindedly he wondered if other demigod parents had to deal with monsters. Athena said it was rare for them to show up while the kids were young. So it must be because Aella was around. The girls must reek of godliness.

He began to get an uneasy feeling. Not the one that made him start being paranoid about being attacked. But it was one that warned him that something equally as bad was going to happen.

Naruto continued to type, losing himself in his imagination. He wasn't even writing a story he was just remembering. He had many experiences and memories from his old life but he could honestly say that he was enjoying the new one thoroughly. At least for the time being. He had a feeling in his gut that some big things had been set in motion and he was going to be dragged along for the ride. It was just like him being the 'chosen one' in his world. He wondered if there was someone like him in this world. Someone with a destiny bigger than they ever imagined and a life more difficult than they ever asked for.

And it had been known for a long time that Naruto didn't hold out for things like Fate, but a small part of him couldn't help but wonder if he had been brought into this world for a reason. He had already made changes in people lives that might not have happened if he hadn't. Annabeth would have been stuck with a father that didn't want her. Naruto felt better knowing that maybe he could change more. Maybe he could save others from their fate. He had done it before. But he also knew that he couldn't alway succeed. He learned that years ago. He also learned another thing. Don't make a girl a promise if you know you can't keep it. That was a lesson that he'd never forget.

But then he was snapped from his reverie. He could feel the air shift. Thunder boomed through the sky. The feeling was stronger than ever. Naruto narrowed his eyes.

"Here we go again."

* * *

"Go to bed, Naruto." Aella was standing by the window, her hands folded over her chest as she watched the clouds swirl in the incoming storm.

He stood, moving toward her with curiosity in his eyes. "Aella... What's going on?" She watched him in the glass door, her eyes beginning to glow in the unnatural dark that clouded the sky. She started to change, her skin prickling as her white fur began to grow in and her ears became points. He took a step closer to her and she snarled, lightning flashing off her pointed teeth.

"Go. To. Bed. Naruto." She spun her sword in her left hand, the tip making anxious circles by her side. She choked on tears, knowing what Zeus was planning. "Go. Please. Just go..."

"I love you, Aella. Remember that."

"Always." She didn't turn to look at him. "I'll always remember." He vanished from the room, and Than appeared from the shadows. They linked arms and vanished in a flash of white light.

* * *

"It is my deepest grievance. I haven't announced something of this magnitude in nearly a hundred years." Zeus' eyes were cast down in utter shame, shaking his head on his platinum throne. Eris was watching him him narrowed eyes, the tip of her tail twitching agitatedly. She wanted to pounce. Thanatos moved closer to her and put a hand in the small of her back. Zeus continued. "With this second breach of the Pact of the Big Three, it has been decided that all demigod children will be separated from their Olympian parents at three months old. There is simply too much risk being put on our reliance upon the Mist that shrouds mortal eyes. The attacks are too strong and too frequent with both child and Olympian parent in the same household. My apologies go out to-"

"Bullshit!" Eris roared. "I call complete and total bullshit on your apology! You don't give a rats ass about these children! They need their parents! Both parents!"

Zeus rolled his eyes. "Is it really going to come to this, Aella? Name calling?"

Eris bared her teeth. "Need I remind you I am a goddess now, father? Aella was the name for a little mortal girl. She died with her virtue long ago." She walked calmly to the foot of the platinum throne, the perfectly polished marble floor cracking and dirtying beneath her feet. She smiled, "You are a putrid little faggot sucking, ass-reamed bastard. What lies beneath your toga is no cock, but a vile little worm no longer than a newborn's pinky finger." She watched his face with glee as the flower pots along the edges of the hall burst into flame one at a time, each a different colour. "You smell like an old dog turd, passed your endowment onto your most treasured son and when I castrated him with my teeth," she flashed a winning smile, "It was like crushing a grape." She smiled as the hall collapsed around them, destroying the top of the mountain in her rage.

Zeus snarled, warning Hera with his hand not to do anything. He growled. "Thanatos, remove your consort from the hall until this council is completed."

Than walked up to her, silent as the grave, enveloping her in a full Nelson she couldn't escape from. He made her bow to the king, exposing the back of her neck. "Forgive her, sir." His voice was haunting, and made her feel like there were cobwebs running across the back of her neck. "She is not herself these days."

Zeus waved the apology away and returned to his throne to speak with his council. Thanatos escorted her from the hall, wrestling her from side to side. He pinned her against a wall, his hood pressed close to her face so it concealed the way her lips moved and the tears fell from her face.

"I can't leave Lucy. I'll die before I leave Lucy! I'll kill myself with Stygian Iron!"

Than heard the Hall, or what was left of it, emptying behind him. When every god had vanished from the mountaintop he whispered to her, hood still hiding her face, "Who did he say could no longer see their children?"

"The Olympians..." She managed to choke out, her face getting closer to his. Her lips brushed his chin.

"How many Olympians are there?"

"Twelve." She gasped, and hugged him. "You're a genius, Than!"

"Keep your voice down, Eris."

"That would be most wise." Zeus stood at the top of the stairs, eyes cruel and unforgiving. When he approached his youngest daughter and her consort, feeling the breeze of Death wash over him, he sighed. "Eris..."

"Don't say it. Just give me a dagger. I'll do it right here."

He put a dagger in her hand and she put it to her breast. Just before she pushed, her father grabbed her hand and growled. "Don't tell anyone else about the loophole. Or I will seal it so fast you'll wish I let you kill yourself at my feet."

She curtsied deeply, shaking with relief. "You don't know how grateful I am..."

Zeus walked away.

Eris cleared her throat. "Father." He turned back to look at her. "Why?"

"I have a guilty conscience concerning you. If I made your growing up Hell..." He sighed. "Hers won't be heaven. But she'll have both parents. I will not stop the monsters. And my threat still stands about the loophole."

"Yes sir."

Eris turned to Thanatos, and they vanished from the top of the mountain. She managed to whisper as they traveled, "He still had a pinky dick." Thanatos laughed.

* * *

When Aella got home, the storm still raged. Naruto had a light on. She stepped into the baby room and Annabeth whimpered with fear, petting the feather Gunca had given her earlier that day. Aella picked her up, then turned to Lucy, who was laying on her back, shivering with cold. Aella picked her up too, and carefully carried them to the Master bedroom, where Naruto sat at his typewriter, a table light keeping the dark away. He looked up at her entry and smiled softly, taking Lucy from her arms.

The babies were asleep quickly. Aella tucked Annabeth in between them and looked up to watch Naruto as he held Lucy, typewriter forgotten his his lap. "Can I turn out the light?"

"Now that you're here, yes." He carefully stacked pillows behind him so he propped himself up, supporting Lucy. Aella closed her eyes. She was exhausted from the council and the crying. She was asleep quickly.

* * *

Five years passed quickly for the Uzumaki family. They were filled with love, happiness, and demigod chaos. Annabeth proved to be quite the brainiac and she did quite well in kindergarten. Lucy? Well, she was much more like Naruto. And he taught her the Ways of the Prank early on in her childhood, much to Than's ire because he was their most common target. He couldn't make it stop because neither one was afraid of him. She caused havoc in her class. But she mostly got on okay.

Monsters were became more and more frequent as the years went on, but the girl's barely noticed. That was mostly due to the fact that they nearly always had about twenty shadow clones near them at all times. Even at school. As it turned out kids and teachers didn't often look up so the blond doppelgangers were often able to just walk around on the ceiling without being detected. And Naruto became well versed in how to take down many different kinds of mythological baddies.

Currently the happy family found themselves sitting around a Christmas tree. Naruto was sipping sleepily on a cup of coffee. Lucy was bouncing up and down excitedly on the balls of her feet wearing white pajamas with red foxes on them. Annabeth was more calm than her sister but her excitement was clear on her face. She was wearing the same white pajamas only with owls on them. They both had waist length hair. Aella didn't have the heart to cut it.

"Come on, Daddy! Let's open presents," Lucy begged. She was getting impatient.

Naruto grinned, "We have to wait for Mommy and Uncle Thin." Annabeth scowled.

"It's Uncle Than, Daddy."

Naruto pretended to look surprised then he snapped his fingers like he just remembered something, "You're absolutely right. You're so smart, Annabell."

Annabeth's right eye twitched cutely and she pouted, "Daaaadddy. It's AnnaBETH." She had been falling into the same trap for two years now so why would he stop?

He pretended to look surprised again, "Really? I could've sworn it was AnnaBELL. Are you sure it's Annabeth?"

"Yes, Daddy."

"Alright. If you say so Annabell."

"DADDY!" She screamed in annoyance and jumped on his chest where she started battering his skull with her tiny fists. Naruto tried to ward her off weakly with his hands.

"Owowowowow. Annabell, stop it!" The blows kept coming and Naruto kept up the act.

"Its ANNABETH!"

Naruto started to chuckle, "Lucy, I need back up. Formation T.A.!" He loved being a dad. It was so fun.

Annabeth stopped her assault in confusion, "T.A?" That sounded bad.

Lucy smirked deviously, "Tickle Annabell." She let out a war cry and launched herself into the fray where she and her daddy quickly overpowered her sister. The trio ended up on the floor with Naruto holding down Annabeth and Lucy tickling her mercilessly.

Lucy cackled madly, "Say your name is Annabell."

Annabeth was giggling furiously but she somehow managed to glare, "Ne-Hahahaha-Never!"

"Just say it!"

"No. Pl-hahaha-please, I'm gonna-Hahahaha- I'm gonna pee!"

Naruto shook his head, "Nice try. You went just a few minutes ago. You should be fine." Just then the door opened and in walked Than and Aella. Than had his wings hidden to preserve the girls' ignorance for as long as possible.

Annabeth heard the door and cried out, "Help MEEEEEEEE!" Lucy planted her hand over her sister's mouth but it was too late.

Aella frowned at Naruto, "Stop torturing my daughter." She sighed. Annabeth would have to learn how to hold her own against those two pranksters.

Lucy put on the most innocent face she could and looked at her mother, "What are you talking about, Mommy? I'm not being tortured. Whatever that means."

Aella gave her the 'Yeah right' look, "My OTHER daughter, Lucy."

Lucy pouted and Naruto let Annabeth up, who then ran up the couch and leapt off the back into Aella's arm's, "Protect me."

Aella smirked, "Don't worry. I've got you. Now let's open some presents."

* * *

About half an hour later, the wrapping paper had been cleared away, and everyone had a small stack of presents at their feet. Than was always so surprised when he was included in the receiving of the gifts, and had received a bomber jacket (his leather one had very visible stretch marks from where his wings were), several large boxes of very strong tea, which he preferred over coffee, and birdseed for his ravens. He was currently in the kitchen, brewing tea and changing jackets discreetly.

Naruto smiled, pulling Aella close as he watched his daughters play. He had received a heavy curled up fox about the size of his hand, carved out of redwood and painted with some white flashes of wood stain. Than explained it was a paperweight for his desk, and Naruto sighed gratefully. The girls running in and out of his study created constant drafts. He also received underwear and socks,which were always needed, several books from the girls, a black sweater that read, "Death before dishonour. Nothing before coffee.", and finally, a very naughty promise from Aella, who was leaning against his shoulder. She had received much the same as him, except her paperweight was a realistic looking black swan with its wings spread, and her sweater was encrusted with rhinestones across the shoulders, with loopy, curly script, spelling 'Vixen.'

The girls sat in mounds of toys, which were equally balanced between their princess and tomboy sides. Annabeth had begun to give Uncle Than a fashion show, while Lucy put together a castle with her Lego. She was holding tightly to a fox with button eyes. She had on a sweater that declared her to be a cheeky monster, complete with horns, and there was a box at her side courtesy of Aella. Annabeth had a similar box, and inside was a small, wooden play sword.

Than had smiled when he saw their confusion. He whispered. "It's for slaying dragons." But his eyes met both Aella's and Naruto's, nodding. He would do their training so they would resent him and not their parents for how hard he pushed them.

Than cleared his throat and brought out two small boxes, finely wrapped. He put the boxes into the hands of the girls, and said softly, "They're from Grandad." The girls wrinkled their noses. They had only met Hades once or twice and neither time had they liked him. But their eyes lit up as they opened the boxes and lifted out matching necklaces. Opals on chains of dark metal, surrounded several times by a burnished wire so the opal looked like it was alive, the colours constantly changing. They put them on and smiled at each other. Than continued, "Grandad said that if you two ever got separated, the necklaces would lead you to each other."

Annabeth nodded. "It feels like a magnet."

Lucy then promptly stuck to her sister, knocking her over. Than caught the pair of them, smiling. The girls ran off to their bedroom, finding new places for their toys.

"They'll be fearless..." He murmured. "They have no reason to fear death." He looked up at Naruto, who frowned at the resentment he must have seen in his eyes. Than began to gather his things in his arms, feeling tension mount between them. He yelled down the hall, "Goodbye, girls!"

They came barreling down the hall for kisses, then disappeared back into their room again, giggling. Than closed the door to the apartment, feeling something nagging in the back of his head. He sighed. There was trouble on the horizon.

Aella whispered into Naruto's ear, her voice teasing. "Now about that promise..."

"Tonight." He growled playfully, cutting her off by pulling her into his lap and kissing her.

* * *

Naruto stood across from Than with a smirk on his face. Than face's was less happy and he was twirling his scythe in his hand. Naruto pulled a scroll from his pocket and threw it into the air. Naruto smirked and his hands flashed through hand signs that were unfamiliar to Than. Suddenly smoke enveloped Naruto's side of the clearing, concealing the blond from Than's view.

Than dropped into a guard and frowned. He had forgotten that he was fighting a shinobi. He flared his wings out and flapped them a few times to clear away the smoke. And when he did Naruto was nowhere to be seen.

He scanned the trees to his left and then to his right. His frown deepened. And then he heard a whistling sound above him and his eyes widened. Time seemed to slow down as the adrenaline of the fight seeped into his system. He turned his gaze upwards and saw Naruto falling towards him with a straight edged sword, that curved a little towards the tip, clutched in his hands. It didn't have a cross-guard and the hilt was black.

Than couldn't move in time to dodge the blade so he leaned back enough so that the curved tip missed his torso by and inch. Naruto kept the smirk however however and Than growled in pain as a long gash opened on the length of his torso.

Than backed away and looked at Naruto evenly, "I dodged."

Naruto shook his head, "You dodged the blade. Not the attack." Than thought the blond would elaborate but he was wrong. He was instantly put on the defensive as Naruto came at him like rabid wolf. Fast, unexpected, and with a snarl on his face.

* * *

"I'm tired of this. I'm going to find Daddy."

Lucy, who was now six years old, got up from doing her push ups and started walking in the direction her father and uncle went.

Annabeth frowned and grabbed her sister' arm, "No. They told us to stay here and do our exercises." Her sister never listened.

"We've already done them. I want to go home," Lucy said in a whiny tone. She wrenched her arm out of her sisters grip and jogged off.

Annabeth let out a scream of exasperation and followed her sister.

As they got close to the clearing where their Uncle and Daddy were fighting the two girls started hearing clangs and other weird noises. They snuck up to some bushes and poked their heads out above the leaves like periscopes. Both sets of eyes widened but for two different reasons.

Lucy's eyes were glued on her father, who had a looked of utter confidence on his face. His shirt was missing and his his shoes were nowhere to be found but it was the way his moving that caught her attention. The way he swung and moved with grace and skill. How fast he was. And the sword he had was shining in the sunlight.

"That's so cooool."

Her sister however, was focused on the wounds that both men had inflicted on one another. With Than being the worse off. He had multiple cuts on his torso and arms that were still bleeding. Naruto had one or two but far less than his sparring partner. Annabeth didn't understand why they were fighting

The blonde haired girls burst out from the bushes and screamed, "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"

Naruto froze mid slash and Than stopped mid swing. Than's wings disappeared in an instant and Annabeth didn't seem to notice. Naruto rose up out of his fighting stance and grinned sheepishly as he scratched the back of his head, "Uh, practicing."

"PRACTICING?! YOU CALL THAT PRACTICING?!" Annabeth walked up to the two men and kicked them both in the shin really hard. This sent them both to the ground clutching the throbbing limbs.

"You stupidheads! You could have hurt each other. You did hurt each other. Practice with wooden swords next time!"

Than looked up at his niece with a smirk on his face, "Of course, Annabeth." Naruto was trying not to laugh.

"Wow this thing is really heavy."

Naruto, Than, and Annabeth looked over to see Lucy trying keep Naruto's chokutō upright in front of her.

Naruto chuckled, "That's because it's taller than you are."

Lucy frowned and then grinned, "Well, can you get me one? It's really cool." She could just imagine herself swinging it around and felling her foes. Or dragons. Either one.

Than frowned, "You should probably stick to your wooden sword."

Lucy set down the chokutō carefully, "But my wooden sword doesn't look like this and I like this better."

Naruto did a little dance of victory in his mind and looked at Than smugly before looking back to Lucy, "As soon as you get fast and strong enough, I'll get you one. And teach you how to be awesome."

Annabeth huffed, "I think those other knives you use are cooler, Daddy. Can I get some of those?"

Naruto fist pumped the air and grinned in triumph, "Of course. But you have the same conditions as your sister."

Than, for his part, just felt betrayed. Why did no one think his scythe was cool?

* * *

"You're too easy on them you know."

Than sighed, about to step through the door, finally getting his turn at the shower. He turned to his aunt, seeing her cross-legged on the floor, her eyes closed. She had mentioned something big that was happening in the Middle East, and was monitoring it constantly. He happened to know she had not properly slept for nearly a week. He sat next to her, crossing his legs as well, "Yeah. I know."

"You let Naruto beat you today?"

"No. It was a hard fight. He's just so damn fast..."

Her eyes snapped open and she slapped him, hard. "You aren't trying hard enough! You are training my children to survive and you let them see you get beaten by their father?" He rubbed his jaw, eyes watering from the force of the blow. "Idiot. What happened to the Grim Reaper everyone feared at the turn of the century?"

He growled, as she brought up his greatest downfall. "People were easier to influence back then. They still feared the shadows under their beds."

She mimicked him cruelly, her eyes rolling in her head. "You are going to listen to me Than. In the next lesson, I want you to be harder on them than you ever have been. They still love you. That shouldn't be so." She touched his arm and looked into his eyes. Her voice echoed in his head, her other hand clutching the scythe she wore around her neck. "I want you to break bones. I've cleaned two scraped knees and a cut on Annabeth's forehead."

He flinched and answered. "I can't hurt them... I..."

"You are a weak, pathetic excuse for a god!" She pushed him over, and took one of his wings in both her hands, extending the muscle, even as he tried to pull it back to his back.

His eyes widened. "Aella. Don't be hasty."

She smiled. "You should have listened." She brought the hollow bone down over knee, snapping it. He roared with pain and she tossed him heavily into the bathroom before assuming her position on the floor, legs crossed and eyes closed.

Naruto pounded on the door. "Than! You okay?"

Than was actually trying very hard not to pass out. He growled through the door, "Not really..."

Naruto opened the door, and saw the wing being very definitely snapped in two. He frowned. "How'd you do that?"

"Slipped." He growled. "In my coat is a silver flask. It's filled with something that's an amber color. It's going to smell amazing - but don't drink ANY OF IT!"

Naruto bolted down the hall. Than felt two scythes with short handles melt into his hands. He growled, stood and walked back to Aella, placing the twin blades against her exposed throat. She did not flinch, but shivered as Than knelt on her level, whispering with Ares' voice, "Wish granted." 'In spades,' he added silently, 'In fucking spades.' She shivered and he stood again, scythes disappearing as he walked out into the hall.

Naruto handed him the flask. Than nodded his thanks before unscrewing the cap and drinking deeply, sighing as he felt the wing bones snap back into place. Naruto noticed Than's eyes were filmy and tired. He offered hospitality for the night. Than accepted gladly.

* * *

Lucy was shaken awake roughly in the middle of the night. She rolled over, holding the fox with button eyes close to her face. She relaxed into the soft fur, when she was frantically shaken again. She growled, "Let me sleep..."

Uncle Than whispered. "No sleep for the wicked. Training session in the dark. Come on."

She groaned, and sat up, rubbing her eyes. Annabeth was already dressed and had her wooden sword in her hand. Lucy pushed her face into her pillow and growled. "You can't make me get out of bed."

Than turned to Annabeth and growled, "Get the paint."

Lucy was up and grabbed her sister's arm. "Destroy the paintings and I'll light your books on fire." She was very defensive of the painting on her half of the room. They moved at night. She had seen them. The little cub had grown, and the family moved position every few nights.

Before she knew what was happening, Lucy had dressed warmly and was following her sister and her uncle out the window and to the park. Annabeth was warming up with Uncle Than, where Lucy sat still, doing only a few stretches, but not much else. Annabeth was ready, helping Lucy to her feet. Than sat down in a patch of shadow, closing his eyes. He growled, "Attack. Don't be afraid to hurt me."

Lucy and Annabeth smiled wickedly, approaching from two different angles. They swung back, aiming for his head, but when they swung down, their mock blades connected, not hitting anything but each other. They frowned with confusion, looking at each other before both felt violent tugs on their hearts. The sisters collapsed to their knees with tears in their eyes. Lucy felt the hair rise on the back of her neck and Annabeth screamed

"Look out!" She pushed her younger sister to the ground as something that glittered sinisterly flew over their heads. It was long and thin, and nearly impossible to see in the dark. They went back to back, eyes narrowing. Something else flew at Lucy's chest and she managed to bat it aside at the last second.

Annabeth whispered, "Arrows. Be careful."

Lucy nodded. "Why was Uncle Than acting funny?"

"I think he's angry."

"About what?"

"I don't know..."

Lucy didn't see the clawed end of the scythe until it was too late. She felt it hit her hard in the side and something snapped wetly in her chest. She gasped and went down, finding it hard to breathe. She saw stars. She whimpered, and got back up, clutching at her side. It was wet.

Annabeth stood own her own, in a shaft of moonlight, eyes scanning around her frantically. Lucy saw the blunt force weapon and screamed, "Heads up!" Annabeth ducked, but caught a glancing blow to her ankle. She wailed and Lucy watched with strange fascination as the joint twisted strangely.

Lucy caught sight of something moving and threw a rock at it, smiling to herself when she hit it square and it growled. She retreated to where Annabeth was getting to her feet, her side painted black. The sisters were back to back again. Annabeth's sword had disappeared into the bushes and she stood in a defensive stance with her fists raised. There was a grunt as the rod came swinging toward the girls again. A blade glittered on the end. Annabeth grabbed it and cut her hands to the tendons. She wailed, latching onto the rod, before being pulled into the darkness, where she disappeared with several muffled screams. There was a silence while Lucy's eyes finally adjusted to the unnatural dark. Annabeth was laying in a puddle, crying as she clutched her wrists, a slash cutting her like a fish's gill between her ribs.

Lucy saw something move and raised her sword, blocking the scythe. She fought hard for control of the rod, straining hard before something in her left hand gave and she had to switch hands. The rod came at her again, smashing her in the side once more. She howled, and rolled toward the opposite end of the rod, managing to scratch the hands of whoever held it. She recognized Than's voice as he growled and threw her toward Annabeth, Lucy's hand closing around a discarded arrow.

Annabeth wasn't breathing, her chest not moving. The unnatural dark lifted and Uncle Than stood before them, his hands glistening gold.

"You two sicken me. Have you learned nothing? Where was your form? Where was the attacks?" He grinned, pulling the hood of his sweater up until it concealed his face. "Are we afraid of the dark?"

Lucy was shaking, the arrow clutched tightly in her hankpds. He had killed her sister. Uncle Than killed Annabeth. She stood, slowly, painfully. He laughed at her. She locked eyes with him, and he immediately stopped laughing. She thought she saw fear there. She felt a surge of... something ... roll through her, and before she knew what had happened, or how she had got there, she was driving the head of the arrow repeatedly into Than's shoulder and chest, ripping his flesh as she plunged it in and out. She was screaming, crying, and laughing all at the same time. She didn't stop until a raging headache closed the world to her. She hadn't noticed Uncle Than had disappeared, or that her sides no longer caused her pain.

The only thing she could focus on was her sister's face as the pain shot up behind her eyes and made her feel like she had licked a battery. Her hand found Annabeth's just as her ice blue eyes fluttered closed.

* * *

Naruto stood in front of his daughters shaking violently in rage. He made two clones and they instantly picked up the girls before dashing off to find Aella.

Naruto had been up when Than came to collect the girls. He had thought it weird for him to train them in night but he figured he was teaching them how to fight in the dark. But then he felt a spike of chakra. And he was one of two people who could possibly use chakra. the other was his daughter and he knew for a fact that she hadn't opened her chakra coils yet. So something must have pushed her enough to where they opened on their own.

When he arrived and found his daughter's bleeding and broken he saw red and his target hadn't been far. He had placed a seal on Than just in case he ever needed to find him quickly.

He disappeared in an orange flash and as he reappeared in front of Than, his hand closed around the winged man's throat. He lifted the pale man of his feet and slammed him onto his back hard enough to shatter both wings. The pale god let out a cry of pain. He gripped Than's arms and pulled them above his head with his right hand overlapping his left. Naruto pulled out a kunai and rammed it through both hands, pinning them to the ground. Than hissed in pain.

"I trusted you, Than. But I guess that's thing about trust. It, like bones, are easily broken. Now I would like you to explain. We'll see where things go from there," Naruto said in a tone that promised pain.

Than's eyes narrowed as he looked into Naruto's which were blood red, "Maybe you should ask, Aella." He then screamed as Naruto twisted the kunai he had impaled through his hands.

"That was not a good answer, Than. Try again."

Than grimaced, "She told me to go harder on them. To break bones."

Naruto's eyes widened before the hardened even more, "And you listened?" He would be speaking with Aella soon.

Than growled, "Yes. I did. Because she told me, too. When I didn't listen to her before she broke my wing. Wouldn't want to risk that again, would we?"

Naruto twisted the kunai again, ignoring Than's howl of agony, before snarling, "Don't be a smartass. You really aren't in a position to get away with it. Now I'll ask again, why?"

Than hissed, "Because apparently, I wasn't doing my job right. Teaching them the basics before moving on to harder stuff wasn't good enough for, Aella. She wants them to be hardened warriors. So I hardened them."

Naruto frowned, "Why are you so angry Than. What happened?"

Than shook with rage, "YOU HAPPENED! You happened, Naruto. All she ever saw me as was her nephew. But I thought with, time things would change. But then you came along and stole her heart like the sneaky little rat you are."

Naruto's rage was renewed, "So why did you take it out on them?! Are you not man enough to face your problems head on?! Are you so weak that the only thing you can beat on are little girls?!"

Than began to heat up and glow with godliness, "Now you listen here, mortal-" A fist slammed into his skull and he nearly blacked out. He stopped glowing immediately.

"NO! You listen! Look into my my eyes and face your judgement!"

He didn't want to but Than looked into the blond's burning red eyes and couldn't look look away. He felt an immense pain in his chest and his surrounding melted away into darkness. Suddenly there was a claw in his chest and a booming voice shook him to his bones..

"You call yourself a god?! You are nothing but a worm. Look upon me and tremble as you should!"

Out of the darkness rose a giant figure. The claw in his torso became visible and it was attached to a furry red paw. And that paw was attached to a leg that was attached to the biggest, most terrifying fox, he had ever laid eyes on. Its eyes were filled with hatred, malice, ill intent that made the god whimper.

"You are nothing but an INSECT! You are not worthy of your title! Now BURN!" The fox opened its maw and exhaled an inferno that melted the flesh from Than's bones.

In the real world Naruto grinned as Than's face contorted in agony and screamed as the flames that weren't real torched his body. This went on for about five minutes before Naruto ended the illusion and brought Than back to reality. He made his eyes match those of Kurama's and when Than's eyes focused enough to see them he began screaming again.

"SHUT UP!" Naruto shouted. Than obeyed and fell into a whimpering mess.

"I don't want to see your face again until you've thought about what you did. And when you do I want you on your hands and knees begging for my daughters' forgiveness. Now get out of my sight!" Naruto pulled the kunai out of Than's hands and watch the god scramble to his feet and frantically fade into the shadows. He scowled. Now he had to talk to Aella.

* * *

"Mummy..."

Aella had been woken by two shadow clones, carrying the broken messes that were her children. Annabeth had been easy to fix, a cup of nectar in her tummy and running some of the same liquid along the cuts to her hands and her side. Lucy, though, was seriously scaring her. She complained of a headache and kept murmuring about 'the shakeys'. She didn't want 'the shakeys'. Aella had given her a glass of nectar as well, and that stopped the babbling, but Lucy still complained of a headache, which shouldn't have been happening.

She had decided she was going to kill Than. All she had wanted was a broken wrist at most, just enough to show them that Than was a threat. Enough to show them that Daddy wasn't the only dangerous one around here.

"Mummy... I don't want the shakeys..." Lucy murmured, clutching at her head. "Tell them to go away..."

Aella gently stroked the side of her face. "I'm trying, honeybee. Don't worry. Mummy's here now."

Lucy whimpered and rolled onto her side. Aella sighed, getting to her feet. She turned to the door and jumped, Naruto standing there, examining his nails with angry red eyes.

He had blocked the door, cornering her. "We need to talk." He fixed her in his angry gaze. "Alone." His eyes swept over the girls, Annabeth sleeping peacefully, Lucy whispering to herself. Once he was satisfied the girls were fine, he backed out of the door, letting her leave. She turned to enter their room and he followed close behind, shutting the door behind them.

"If we're going to talk - then I need to talk to Naruto - not Kurama." He growled, but his eyes shifted back to blue. She didn't like the feeling of having the door closed, and moved to open it, but he stepped in front of it, stopping her.

He growled, "You told Than to beat them bloody? To break bones?" He lowered his voice dangerously, "What kind of mother are you? You can't do that, Aella! You can't do that sort of thing!"

She snarled at his chastisement. "I only wanted them to recognize him as dangerous. They were borderline insubordinate during training."

"You make it sound like boot camp."

"It is! Have you learned nothing from fighting all those monsters? Your shadow clones aren't always going to be around to protect them. What if a Hydra catches Annabeth unawares someday? She needs to get trained now so she's prepared for the future."

"They're seven! Aella..." He shook his head. "This thing in the Middle East has you all worked up, doesn't it? Maybe you just need a quiet weekend away from home."

Aella shook her head. "No. I don't just need a weekend. Maybe Zeus was right. Maybe I should have left like everyone else had to." She flicked his ear, and growled. "Left you to be the single parent of two kids under a year old."

His eyes widened as she stooped, reached under the bed and grabbed a suitcase. "Where are you going?"

"Somewhere. Anywhere. Away from you mortals who don't understand." She started to pack furiously, her eyes going from amber to ice blue. "Away from you. You know what I've been through. If I had training like they do - maybe I could've fought back.

Naruto sighed, "Is that what this is about? You're relapsing?" She watched in the mirror of her dresser as he walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her, pressing himself into her gently. "Do we need a few hours of quiet time?"

She shuddered, desiring him greatly, but her anger won out in the end. "Get your hands off me." And with that, she turned and opened the door, closing her heart to him.

* * *

Lucy could almost hear them through her headache. Mummy was saying a lot of bad words and Daddy was trying to reason with her. He started to sound almost whiny, but more desperate. "...Aella...don't...tear...family..."

Mummy threw something heavy on the ground and returned a threat, her voice angry, "Can't talk...what you wanted...STOP GRABBING ME!"

The argument descended into murmurs and the incredible sound of both her parents crying. Lucy crawled over to the door, afraid Daddy would hear her. Lucy pressed her ear against the crack that separated the bottom of the door from the floor. Mummy whispered, "I told you. I told you this eight years ago."

Daddy whispered, "It was one bad decision. You're forgiven. Please, Aella. Don't leave us..."

"I'm dangerous..."

"We're all dangerous."

Mummy let out a sound that reminded Lucy of something dying. She heard the front door open and the the shouting started again. Lucy started to cry, which only made the headache worse. She started to play with the necklace Grandad have given her last Christmas, wishing she could go somewhere safe. She felt something tug behind her belly button and she disappeared with a surprised inhalation and a small pop. Her necklace dropped to the floor.

When Naruto returned to check on his girls, Aella having left, he was surprised, then enraged to only find one. Annabeth was sleeping peacefully, and Lucy's necklace lay on the ground. He had no way to find her. He ran into his study and sat at his desk, burying his face in his arms. What had he done to deserve this?

* * *

Lucy reappeared in a dark bedroom lit with torches. All the furniture was black or silver, and all the fabric in the room was a shade of green so dark it was almost black. Grandad was lying in bed, his eyes closed and one hand under his pillow. Persephone was nowhere to be seen. She gently poked his shoulder and murmured, "Grandad..." She tried poking his ribs, then just gave up, and gave her grandfather a wet willy.

Hades roared and grabbed the offender, still in a semi-sleeping state. He threw it against a wall, then drew the knife that was concealed beneath his pillow and growled. Lucy started to cry, clutching at the back of her head.

"I... I just wished for somewhere safe... Mummy and Daddy... Fighting..." She looked at her hands, they came away red and she started to cry harder. She felt herself picked up and gently carried down some stairs, held against her grandfather's strong chest and shoulders. He carried her into a sort of kitchen space with bright lights, where he handed her a cold ice pack. She accepted it gratefully, pressing it to her head.

"Now, Lucy. What happened?"

She recounted what happened, Than's attack, Daddy's reaction, how Mummy tried to help her, but she kept feeling the shakeys get closer.

"The shakeys?" Grandad asked, his green eyes concerned.

She nodded. "Like Uncle Than gets sometimes. Mummy has to hold his head and sometimes he-" she giggled, "sometimes he pees his pants." Grandad waved for her to continue. She got all the way to the part where she was listening through the door and she started to cry, reaching for Grandad. He was the only one there, so she could only get hugs from him. "Mummy's gone... It's all my fault..."

"It isn't your fault Lucy."

"Daddy's gonna hate me too, cause I ran away..."

"Lucy, stop it."

"And you don't like me because... Because of the willy..."

"Lucy, look at me."

She tried. She tried really hard. But she knew before she got there that the world closed to her, and it got very, very cold. She started to shake. Grandad was too warm and she thrashed away from him, happy when it got cold again. Everything felt like it was vibrating. She tried to relax, and the smell of something acrid reached her nose. She whimpered, turned her face away. She had had an accident. Big girls don't have accidents. She looked for Grandad and found him holding her shoulders with his elbows squeezing her ears. His long hair hung in his face, and he was talking to her soothingly about ice cream. She was so embarrassed...

Grandad whispered softly. "I think I'd better take you home. Your Dad will be worried about you."

She nodded faintly, and finally letting sleep take her.

* * *

The next half a year was hard on the Uzumaki family. Naruto had trouble explaining why Aella left. He finally settled on telling the girls that their mother was scared and confused. They didn't exactly understand but they really didn't have to at that point. All they knew was that their mummy was gone. And it changed them, much to Naruto's sadness. Annabeth would absorb herself in her books, a lot of which were about Greek mythology thanks to her dad, and she was very quiet and reserved.

Lucy was less changed but it still hurt. She was less hyper and she paid more attention during their lessons. Naruto secretly wondered if that was for his sake. Did she think that if she acted better he would stay? It was a thought that made him cringe.

But things were getting better. In fact, the trio had just left Disneyland and the girls had a blast. Naruto had fun too when he wasn't looking out for monsters. And really weren't that many there at all. And the few of them that were left the family alone. The blond secretly wondered if this was because he had killed so many monsters that they had decided to mark his daughters as off-limits. It was a thought that certainly fed his ego.

At that moment, they were driving back from the resort and Naruto was running low on gas. He could see the city quite clearly and debated whether or not he should stop for gas. He finally decided that he would because the girls were complaining that they wanted snacks anyway.

So after a couple miles he pulled into a gas station and told the girls to wait inside the car, despite Lucy's pleas to pump the gas. Naruto just smirked and walked into the store. As he walked around his ears tuned in on a rather odd conversation.

"Why are we here, again, Thalia? You know this place is, like, monster central." This voice was definitely male and it seemed annoyed. Monsters? Naruto listened closer.

"The scenery, Luke. The scenery. It's been so long since I've just sat back and taken a look at the smog." Naruto actually had to bite back a chuckle. That voice was feminine and dripping with sarcasm.

The male voice let out a sigh, "Seriously. You keep saying that you have a feeling that you should be here and then you can't explain it. Are you sure it wasn't something you ate?" There was a sound of scuffling and a solid thump followed by an 'OW!'.

"Lets just get this food and worry about the voices in my head later." Naruto already liked this girl. He stepped around the aisle and made his way to the front of the store. He wasn't that surprised to see a girl around twelve dressed in black. She had short black hair, blue eyes, and she seemed to be going for that 'touch me and die' sort of look. And he had to say that she pulled it off quite well. The boy next to her was older and dressed decidedly more normal. He was wearing blue jeans and long sleeved tee-shirt. He also had a golf club strapped to his back, a fact that gave him ten bonus brownie points in Naruto's book. He also noticed that they were both pretty dirty.

Naruto sidled up beside the duo and placed his things on the counter. He pulled out enough cash to pay for his snacks and gas. But then he pulled out an extra twenty dollar bill and handed it to the cashier who looked at him confused until Naruto slightly motioned with his head at the two kids. The cashier smiled at the Naruto's kindness and nodded once.

Naruto exited the store and delivered the snacks to his daughters before pumping his fuel. The two kids came out a few minutes later and walked up to the man who paid for their stuff.

The boy of the two spoke first, "Uh, we wanted to thank you for paying for our stuff. You didn't have to."

Naruto waved them off, "It's fine you guys looked like you could use the help. Where are you headed anyway?" At least they were polite.

The girl pointed off to the distance, "San Francisco." Naruto put up the the gas line and closed the cap on the car.

"Well, you're in luck then. I live there. Now I'd like you to get in the car rather quickly so we can leave."

Luke was instantly on guard and his hand was inching towards his golf club as his eyes narrowed, "Why?"

Naruto smirked nervously, "Because there are three hellhounds coming at us from down the road and they look really hungry. If you want to stay then that's cool too I guess." Both kids whipped around and sure enough three giant bull mastiff looking dogs were galloping down the road with slobber flying from their chops.

The girl in black was the first one in the car.

* * *

Annabeth had to push over for the girl climbing into the car. Lucy looked at her with wide eyes and immediately decided she was a kindred spirit, even if she smelt funny. She smiled, "Hi!"

The girl frowned. "Didn't your dad ever tell you not to talk to strangers?"

Lucy cringed and turned away, and Annabeth shuffled closer to her sister. Her dad got into the drivers seat and a boy got into the front seat, laying a golf club across his knees so he could sit down. The car started just as something hit its back fender. Her dad growled and stomped on the gas, aiming away from the gas station and back toward the Interstate. Lucy thought she could hear something behind them, and turned to look. She quailed in her seat, seeing a huge, furry something with angry red eyes barreling down the Interstate behind them. It slobbered furiously, drool spotting the pavement and evaporating in the California heat.

Annabeth turned to look and gasped. "It's a waarg..."

The boy snorted, "A what?"

"The wolf-dog-tiger things the orcs ride. The orcs are coming."

The boy laughed, throwing back his head. Despite his grungy-ness, Lucy saw the sunlight flash off his teeth.

Daddy kept driving, his blue eyes flashing in the rear view mirror to check on where the waargs were. He flipped the mirror down, his blue eyes meeting Lucy's and Annabeth's. "You girls okay back there?"

Lucy nodded, but Annabeth whimpered. "Please don't let the orcs get me. I don't want to go to Mordor..."

Daddy nodded and flipped up the mirror just in time to see one of the dog-things jump forward and with a huge swipe of it 's paw, sent the car rolling off the Insterstate and into a ditch. He jumped from the car, and Lucy watched with wide eyes as he stood, alone, between the car and the three dogs. The boy climbed out of the front seat, his golf club now a hand and a half sword that glittered bronze. He joined Daddy.

"Thalia - look after the kids!"

The girl shouted back. "While you fight? Never!" She climbed out of the car too, leaving the girls alone.

Annabeth whimpered, watching as two of the dogs approached. "Where's the third one?"

I huge snout poked up over the hood of the car and Lucy screamed. "Get down!" The dog smashed the windshield in, it's hot breath putrid in the girls hair and its slobber dripping down on them as they cowered between the seats, the dog scrambling and barking madly as it tried to get at them. They screamed, Lucy looking around madly for something, anything, to get the dog out of the car. Two bronze blades melted into existence beneath the back seat. She grabbed the one with no cross guard, only a handle wrapped in something like sandpaper that grabbed at the skin of her palm and swung up, straight into the dogs jowls. It yelped and withdrew, Annabeth grabbing the other, a short sword that looked much like the wooden ones they trained with that felt comfortable in her hand.

The girls rolled from the car, Lucy running around to firmly plant her back against Annabeth's. Lucy took the blade in both hands like she'd seen her dad do, and both girls took up a mirror stance, holding the blade at the ready behind their heads, in Annabeth's case, an arm in front of her for balance. The dog circled them, its jaws lathering with exertion. Lucy met its eyes and grinned.

"Nineteen!" She shouted, and Annabeth ducked as Lucy did a backflip over her sister, Annabeth charging forward with a cry, her grey eyes hard as she slashed at the face of the dog.

She ducked down, a paw flying over her head and screamed, "Sixteen!"

Lucy charged for her sister, and using Annabeths shoulders as a step up, jumped and landed on the beast's back, holding on with her knees. The animal started to buck wildly, causing her to drop her blade, forcing her to hang on with her hands as well as her knees. "Kill it!" She yelled. "Kill it Annabeth!"

Annabeth ran forward, her eyes following the dogs movements with razor precision. She picked up a rock and threw it at the dog. "Hey ugly!" It rounded on her immediately, and snarled. Annabeth looked around wildly, then shouted. "Yo mama so hairy when she went to the pet store - they locked her in a cage!"

Lucy laughed, but the dog just charged, it's angry little eyes filled with hate. Annabeth set her stance, eyes angry. She waited. Time slowed to a near standstill as Lucy watched the waarg open its mouth to engulf her sister and Annabeth lunged forward, impaling her sword in the roof of its mouth. The monster dissolved into dust, and Annabeth stood with a smile on her face and shock in her eyes.

Lucy grinned, retrieving her blade. She held out a fist to her sister and the two girls bumped knuckles before hugging each other and dissolving into giggles.

Lucy whispered. "The orcs didn't get us!"'

Annabeth giggled. "I know!"

* * *

Naruto and the two kids easily finished off the other two hellhounds. The boy distracted one of them while the girl took it out with her spear after a bit of dodging and maneuvering. Naruto ended his canine foe in a much cooler if more gruesome way. He caught the hellhound by the mouth when it lunged at him and pried the two jaw halves apart until he heard a crack. He grinned and then frowned when he looked at his car. He liked that one.

"Girls. You can come out now." He heard a bit of scuffling before his daughters climbed out of the ditch from behind the car with grins on their faces.

The girl in black looked around nervously, "Where's the third one? There were three." She wondered how in the hell something that big could disappear so fast.

Annabeth's eyes shone with pride, "We killed it! We need a bath now, but we killed it." She was quite happy with her accomplishment.

The girl's jaw dropped in disbelief, "No way! No freaking way!" She looked at Naruto and made a strangled sound when he just shrugged and grinned.

The boy walked up and whistled, "Pretty impressive. You must have had a good teacher." Maybe he could get some pointers.

Lucy nodded excitedly, "Yeah, Daddy's the best." Luke looked at Naruto in surprise and was about to ask something but Naruto raised his hand and spoke in a commanding tone that made both teenager perk up.

"Questions later. We need to make it back to the city and my car is busted. I want us to make a triangle formation with the girls in the center and you two at the rear. We don't know what's out there but the sun's going down."

Luke and Thalia nodded and they got into formation. Naruto took the lead and they started walking.

It took quite a while for them to reach Naruto's apartment. It was well into the night and Naruto could see the light of the sun beginning to rise. The girls almost immediately went into their room and crashed. They were too exhausted to ask their questions.

Naruto however sat down with the two teenagers and let his eyebrow raise, "You two are demigods aren't you?" The two stiffened before nodding. He smiled, "Well, good. Because so are my girls. Now what are your names?" He got a tired 'Luke' and 'Thalia' from the boy and girl respectively. He nodded and gestured for them to make themselves at home. He figured they were too tired to do much else anyway. He sighed and sat down on his bed before taking a look at the girls' blades which he had confiscated for inspection. They were expertly crafted and weighted for the girls. That was something that suggested godliness was involved. He didn't know whether it made him feel better knowing that someone was watching out for him and his family.

He went to sleep knowing he'd have to inform the girls of their heritage when they all woke up.

* * *

He floated. A long, narrow boat that flowed down an orange river, the sky above the same marmalade colour, with the sun setting in the west. The boat seemed to pull into an ivory dock that began at the foot of a set of golden stairs. The stairs were cut out of a mountain of polished granite, the dark colour contrasting eerily with the soft metal. He heard singing. He climbed to the top of the stairs, feeling two small presences pass him on the way up. Other people started to buffet him, pushing him out of the way. He growled and fought back, kicking and shoving until he reached the top of the steps, revealing a bank of white mist that he travelled through without fear, feeling people press on him from all sides as they crowded to get close to something in the center of the fog bank.

There were whispers to be heard. Whispers that were afraid as they travelled to the center, where there was a podium that supported a swirling orb of black and red smoke that pulsated and swirled ominously. Naruto himself was drawn to the orb, a hand reaching out to touch it, fascinated by the couloir, the shapes. His hand disappeared into it, and he was tugged forward, the whispers turning to screams as he fell down, down, down.

He was fighting Lucy. She was scared though, her sword tip shaking. "Daddy... Daddy please..." She deflected two of his strikes, then turned and bolted, dropping her sword and disappearing into a bank of trees that rose up out of nowhere. The fox saw prey, a little mouse, scurrying into its tunnel. He ran after her, reaching into a pouch clipped to his belt. With three kunai in his fingers, he kept to the shadows, leaping into the trees. Hunting. He found her just as she crossed a river, panting with fear.

He smiled. "Look up."

She did, just in time for a knife to strike her between the eyes. Her perfect ice blue eyes. When he jumped down into the stream to retrieve the kunai, he smiled, catching sight of his reflection in the water. He started, seeing himself with black eye whites and red irises.

"No!" He recoiled, stumbling over something as his mind cleared. He smacked his head on the river bottom and came up sputtering. He sat up, seeing Lucy lifeless, face down as she bleed into the river. "No!"

He stared at his reflection, who stared back, grinning. "Miss me, pretty boy?"

* * *

Lucy started awake and began to cry. Stupid nightmares. Daddy would never hurt her. But that thing hadn't been Daddy... She snuck out of her room and into her father's making sure to shut the door. He was tossing and turning, clutching at a pillow. She saw his whisker marks were darker and when he snarled his vampire teeth were elongated. She knew better than to poke him.

He sat up, and his eyes were scared. He saw Lucy watching him, and she whimpered, making her stance non-threatening. "Bad dream?" He asked, rubbing his eyes. "Me too, Lucy."

She crawled up beside him and wrapped her arms around him, burying her face in his shoulder as he buried his face in her hair. Father and daughter calmed the other until Naruto laid back down, taking Lucy with him. She sighed and laid her head against his chest, feeling like a little girl again. He rubbed her back, soothing her to the point where she fell asleep again.

He smiled as she started to mumble happily, her hands balling in his shirt. He kissed her cheek and she rolled off his chest to his side, where she curled up against him. It made his eyes sting to think about it, but she smelt like her mother.

"Daddy?"

"Yeah?"

"Will Mummy ever come back?"

"I don't know."His voice cracked from the tears and he cleared his throat. "I don't know."

"Promise you'll never leave. Promise you'll always stay. Promise I can always come back and hug you."

He inhaled sharply, and whispered. "I promise Lucy."

"Cross your heart?"

He nodded, squeezing her hand. "Cross my heart."

* * *

The girls accepted their heritage without too much trouble. Annabeth smiled in triumph when Naruto told them, and did a little victory dance, "I knew it! I knew it!"

Naruto ruffled her hair. He smiled down at the two girls, but Lucy frowned at him. "But... Are we really sisters then?" Her eyes were hard as diamonds. Annabeth stopped her victory dance and froze. Where Annabeth looked upset, Lucy was angry. "You lied to us, Daddy!" She crossed her arms, "If you even are my daddy..."

Naruto knelt down on their level and sighed. His eyes were kind, and filled with love. Lucy still stood with her arms crossed, unfazed. He spoke gently, "Lucy, you are my biological daughter. I am your daddy and your father. Me and mummy made you." Lucy relaxed, but Annabeth started to cry.

Naruto opened his arms to her, but she didn't move to hug him. He sighed again, frowning. He should have started with her. "Annabeth." She looked up at him, wiping her eyes on her sleeve, "I knew your father. And your mother. They made you - but they weren't ready for you. Your father actually made you really sick when you were little. He was cruel and mean." Annabeth was hugging Lucy. "I talked to your mother and she knew I could look after you. So mummy and I took you in." He touched her shoulder. "Now, would you rather have a father that was nasty and hurt you, or would you rather have a daddy that would love you and take care of you?"

Annabeth launched into his arms, nearly knocking him over. "A Daddy."

He kissed her cheek. Lucy joined the hug, and he kissed her cheek too. "You two are sisters in all but blood. You grew up together, wore each other's clothes, and have shared a room since you were tiny. Never forget that."

They nodded and he stood up, smiling. "Go do your exercises, girls." They scampered off. He turned back to the front room, where he could hear Luke and Thalia preparing to leave. He had heard the shower on early that morning, and knew that they had lavished in the hot water and soap. Walking into the room, he heard them freeze, and they turned to look at him.

"Where are you headed?" Naruto asked.

"New York."

"Why? How are you getting there?"

Luke snarled, "We're going to a place for demigods. A safe place where we can learn and grow safely. Monsters can't get past the borders."

Thalia swatted him. "Put your war face away. We're his guests." She shrugged. "We were planning on walking and camping our way there. Maybe hitch hiking if it came to that."

Naruto nodded. "It's safe there? No monsters."

Both of his guests nodded.

He was getting tired of killing baddies... "Would you be willing to accept three more?"

They looked at each other, something passing between their eyes. Luke mouthed, 'They can fight...'

'They haven't been claimed...' Thalia mouthed back, 'They're unpredictable...'

Naruto tapped her shoulder, smirking at the way her eyes widened when she realized he was part of the conversation. He mouthed to both of them, 'I know both mothers. Do you need to know?'

Thalia nodded, "It would be useful."

Naruto whispered to her and Luke. "Lucy's mother is..." His tongue felt like it was made of lead. He frowned at tried again, "Sheeethhh..." His jaws locked together.

Luke chuckled, "Can't say?"

"Mmmmffppphhh..."

Lucy's voice floated down the hall. "Daddy? Are we going to the park or up on the roof?"

"The rooth..."

She nodded and disappeared into her room again.

"Can we follow?

He nodded, rather than slur his words again. He swallowed, and the feeling of lead tongue passed. "You'll have to warm up too. The girls do fifty push ups and sit ups each before a hardcore game of tag wherever we train." He looked over his shoulder. "You're nearly twice their age. I think we could double your warm up."

Thalia groaned, and Luke elbowed her, his eyes flashing. "Come on. I wanna learn something."

They dropped to the ground and began warm up, Naruto watching, noticing both of them were incredibly stiff and not warming up well. He frowned, going to warm up himself. He had work to do today.

* * *

Eris growled. Trying to tell people who Lucy was before she was ready to claim her. She looked away from the window of her quarters as the Underworld grew dark. The cold was coming. She climbed into bed, kicking the two scabbards under her bed. No doubt they had used them to kill that Hellhound. But she couldn't go back now.

She trembled, and hopped into her bed, shaking. Her covers were silk and satin, and cold. She began to miss the feeling of a body to curl up against. Under her pillow, she felt her fingers brush up against the smooth stone of the sickle. Than would come... She knew... She rubbed it gently, and she rolled over, shivering. Snow began to fall, looking more like ashes then anything else.

She rolled over and came face to face with Than.

He asked gently, "Cold?"

"Yes..."

He slid under the covers and gently pulled her to him. She panicked a little at first, but he rubbed her back gently, and she calmed to the point where she relaxed against his chest, curling up against him. "Warmer?"

She closed her eyes and sighed softly.

"Eris?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you want me to stay?"

She hesitated, and whispered. "Yes..."

He pulled the covers up around her chin, and put a wing over her, covering her in a downy quilt. Shame filled her eyes and she rolled over.

He pulled her closer and whispered. "Don't worry. It's alright. You're just cold. I'm not going to do anything." His eyes narrowed and a voice whispered in his head, 'Not yet anyway.'

She relaxed and closed her eyes. He gently traced the dragon on her shoulder and smiled suavely. He focused hard, feeling a flight feather being plucked out of his right wing as three messages were written and delivered. He flinched slightly, but not enough to disturb his Aunt.

She stirred softly. He kissed her cheek, continuing to trace the dragon on her shoulder. She smiled. "Naruto..." She rolled over, stretching up, "Naruto..."

He recoiled a little, letting the feathers brush her cheek. She stopped, and fell back into a deeper slumber. Than made a mental note. He would have to speak with Eros in the morning.

He had a long-standing favor he need to make good on.

* * *

"But Daddy..."

"I said No. And no means no Lucy!" He was vastly irritated by the way Luke and Thalia trained. It was like re-training Annabeth and Lucy after Than's attack, except a thousand times worse. They had been practicing wrong for years and years. Thalia fought with her feet planted firmly in the ground, not moving at all as she swung like a pillar with arms. Luke was better, but not by much. He was overconfident, supercilious, and fought like an emu on LSD.

Lucy had began to nag him about the swords they had received mysteriously yesterday. Naruto was not ready to give them back. He had a nagging suspicion that they could have been sent by someone who meant to do them harm. Both were wrapped up and tucked securely beneath his bed in sheets of long, brown cloth.

Annabeth started now. "Daaaddyyyy..."

He snarled and the disciplinarian reared its ugly head. "Both of you don't get to ride the elevator. You're going to sprint down the stairs." He pushed the call button for the elevator. "You better be down there before I am." His tone added an 'Or else.'

They were gone in a flash. He gave them about a minute's head start, then pushed the button for his floor before descending. They were inside, Lucy helping Annabeth by holding an ice pack to her head. She must have tripped. He pushed open his bedroom door when Annabeth asked, "Daddy - who's Artaxias?"

Naruto felt his blood run cold. "How do you know that name?"

"He wrote us letters. They were on our pillows. Mine said something about him having Eris. Lucy's said something about rape." She frowned. "Daddy, what's rape mean?"

"Don't worry Annabeth. I'm sure it's just someone playing a trick on you." He didn't answer her question. She noticed, her eyes narrowing. Lucy slipped on ice cube down the back of Annabeth's shirt and she yelped, jumping around until the ice cube melted. This started and ice cube war, during which Naruto slipped into the girls rooms, collecting the two letters. He snarled, crumpling them and stuffing them in his pockets.

He strode angrily into his room, stripping down to his underwear before noticing something on his pillow. A letter, addressed to him, written in a spiked, jagged, gothic writing.

He tore open theletter, fearing what he would find. There was a very detailed sketch, done with a quill and ink. Aella's face, asleep, her hair rising as she breathed. He had only seen her face like that the weekends they had spent away from the kids, or after a quiet bout of lovemaking while the girls were asleep.

It had been done by someone who knew her body well. He turned to the writing and froze. He took out the girls letters, and shook his head. The characters were strange. He cleared his throat, stopping the ice cube war for a moment. "Annabeth - what's it say?"

She took the letter and smiled. "Can't you read it? It's right there - clear as day."

He shook his head. "I can't read it. What's it say?"

"'You cannot see what lies ahead, when the sun has faded and the moon is dead.'"

He frowned. "Thank you." The ice cube war resumed, and he could see clearly that the letter was signed by 'Artaxias'. He took the letters, tore out the part of Aella asleep, throwing the rest of them into his bathroom sink. He washed the paper down the drain, not caring if the sink clogged.

He yelled down at the hall at the girls that it was quiet time, and they retired to the bathroom and their bedroom. He pulled out the drawing of Aella, and slipped it under his pillow.

He closed his eyes, and sighed. He missed her. He missed her a lot...

Unbeknownst to him, when he woke, the picture would no longer be there, only a stack of raven's feathers covered with the scent of Aella's hair.

* * *

He found himself in a desolate wasteland, surrounded by the bones of strange creatures, ash clouding in his footsteps. He heard something behind him and turned to meet a teenage girl. She had short-cropped brown hair and hazel eyes.

"Where am I?" He asked.

"Limbo. The space between spaces." She kicked at some bones near her left foot. "It was somewhere once upon a time. But now it's nowhere." She stuck her hands in the pockets of her jeans and smiled crookedly. She pushed up her glasses.

"What's your name?"

"I have many."

He frowned, "What can I call you?"

"Noxx. Two x's. Not one. That's somebody else."

She turned to walk away, beckoning him with one finger.

"Where are we going?"

"To meet the creator."

"Can you give me a straight answer?"

"Yes and no. Up and down. Black and white."

He rolled his eyes and followed her. He frowned. She reminded him of Aella for some reason. It was something about the set of her shoulders, the way she moved when she walked, and especially her smile. "What are you?"

Her eyes turned gold with excitement, lighting up from behind. She pushed her glasses up again. "I am the goddess. Death's Angel. The creator and destroyer of many worlds. I am the shadow in the dark, the whisper of wind on the nape of your neck, the monster under your bed." She smiled crookedly again.

Naruto frowned. "What?"

She had disappeared. He huffed with frustration and looked around wildly for her. She appeared again, having thrown aside her sweater and pulling a black robe from nowhere, fastening it over her green shirt. She put up the hood and smiled, the faint light glinting off her teeth.

Someone walked up behind her, this figure decidedly male, also cloaked and hooded, about half an inch shorter than she was. Noxx smiled. "This is not your creator. However, both of us are manipulators." They stood shoulder to shoulder.

Naruto felt suddenly very vulnerable. "

She nodded. "Romulus watches over you. I watch over Aella - sometimes the girls." She smiled wickedly. "I created Artaxias. Ares wasn't nearly as much of an asshole before I came along."

"Why am I here?"

"Because you're doomed! DOOMED!" She cackled madly, her gold eyes glinting. "We're all mad here..."

Naruto sighed in exasperation and turned to Romulus, "What is this place? I need a straight answer." This was getting weird. He didn't think he was THIS crazy.

Romulus spoke with the wisdom of a warrior or an old man. It reminded him of the Third.

"This is the place where forgotten warriors go to die. They can't live in legends forever. Unless they make sure they never are forgotten. If they have a destiny greater than themselves. That is why you are here. Why Noxx and I are here. Though she seems to have gone a bit insane."

Noxx cackled, "And you should count yourself lucky that I'm not crazy. It's the crazy ones you have to watch out for." Naruto actually chuckled. It was kind of hard not to like her. She kept trying to do cartwheels, failing miserably. She jeans were covered in ash by the time she stood up again.

Naruto turned his attention back to Romulus, "So who exactly are you?" He started to notice the ashes start to float into the air and create a mist.

Romulus chuckled, "We are...choices. Think of us as the Angel and Devil on your shoulders.

Naruto nodded and then grinned, "So I guess you're the angel then?" He was surprised and put on guard by Romulus's response.

"Do not be so quick to assume. We are here. Perhaps you'll find your answers."

A throne came into view and Naruto could see a figure lounging in it. But he could see faces in the ash mist. Familiar faces. And not all of them good. As he approached the throne the figure stood up and walked up to Naruto. He had a similar cloak to the one Noxx and Romulus were wearing.

Naruto got into a stance because he didn't particularly enjoy the feeling he was getting from this figure. It was much too familiar. The figure removed his hood and Naruto was greeted with...Naruto. Or at least a version of himself. The Naruto in front of him had a wicked grin on his face and fully blood red eyes..

"I thought I rid myself of you."

The dark doppelganger chuckled, "No. You got rid of all the hate and angst. Pretty much everything that made me like a certain duck-haired bastard we used to know. I was still very much alive. Just sleeping. Those two behind awoke before I did."

Noxx took her place at his right shoulder, Romulus at his left.

Naruto relaxed a little. If his dark half was stable enough to have a civil conversation then he could extend the same courtesy, "And what woke them?"

"That mission that ordered you to sweep through all of the smaller villages that were supporting Madara and slaughter their populations."

Naruto flinched. He had hoped that would stay suppressed. He never thought Tsunade would order him to do something like that. Villages like Claws and Fangs had switched allegiances halfway through the war. So the Kages had sent an envoy to 'remind' them why they should have stayed. He would never forget the screams of those women and children. It was one of those few times he regretted being a shinobi.

Naruto looked up at his dark half, "And when did you wake up?" He wondered if he would be around to stay this time.

The red eyed blond frowned, "When Aella left. I've decided that you alone aren't enough to protect our girls. At some point you are going to need something more."

"You actually care about them?"

"Of course! I love them just as much as you! As much as you wish it were not true, I am you. In a sense. Like you told Kurama, Its time to stop fighting each other."

Naruto's blue eyes stared into red ones for a while until he sighed, "I suppose. But when I do need you. IF I need you. You don't hurt anyone who is not a present threat. If you are anything like me then you will not harm the those who do not deserve it. Not again."

"I suppose I can agree to those terms. And call me Oturan. It's less confusing. Now get out. I want to talk to Kurama."

* * *

After his talk with Oturan, Naruto continued to train Luke and Thalia for a few weeks. Getting them up to speed. He taught Luke humility by beating the concept into him. Thalia didn't have many glaring flaws except that she seemed to be going out of her way to please her father. Always pushing herself. It reminded him too much of Sasuke. But they were nice enough kids. They seemed to be warming up to him. But they often attracted a lot of attention staying put as they were. So they were heading out tomorrow.

Naruto was sitting on the roof looking over the city when he felt someone sit beside him. He looked to his side and saw Thalia sitting next to him. He just left her be and kept his silence, if she wanted to talk she would.

"What's it like to have parents?"

Naruto looked over at her and shrugged, "I really wouldn't be able to tell you. I never had parents. They died the day I was born. I had a mother figure I guess you could say but she is gone now."

Thalia seemed to absorb, "My mom was a good mom. But she wasn't always there mentally. When my dad left she was just different. She's the reason my little brother is gone."

Naruto understood the feeling. But he figured that Thalia's mom handled it differently, "What happened?"

"I still don't know. I have to assume he is dead, but sometimes I get these feelings. Like his isn't."

Naruto still didn't know how exactly the gods worked but this stinked of godliness, "Well, normally I would tell you to use the experience and get stronger but the rules are different now. If you think he's still out there than he probably is. But there's something else isn't there?"

Thalia didn't speak for a while but Naruto got the distinct feeling that she was crying or starting to cry, "It's been hard. I'm only twelve. Luke's fourteen. And we've had to fight for our lives longer than most soldiers. I-I just want to be normal. I-I want to have a dad, a real mom, and my little brother back. I-I just want a home..."

Naruto felt his heart clench. He could remember feeling like her. Lost and scared. She had been through a lot. He sighed and tentatively wrapped an arm around the girl's shoulders, "I can't guarantee you a home Thalia. Nor can I make your life normal. Because your life was going to be hard from the moment you were born. But you should stick around with us for awhile. Leave the hard stuff to me. We Uzumakis have always had large hearts. I'm sure there is room for one or two more. Right Luke?"

Another body sat down beside Naruto on his other side, "That does sound nice." And it would. To be able to rely on someone else other than each other.

Thalia sniffled before chuckling, "Yeah, it does." She liked the blond haired man anyway.

Naruto smiled, "We were going to New York together anyway. I'm sure I could find a place big enough for all of us."

Luke gaped at the man, "Just who are you? Why are you so rich?"

Naruto laughed, "Stick around. Maybe you'll find out someday."

"I'll hold you to that."

"I'm sure you will."

The next morning Naruto went out early and got a new car big enough for all of them to travel comfortably.

Luke was the first one to question the new ride, "And how did you get that?" The man couldn't be so loaded that he could go out and buy a new car whenever he wanted.

Naruto grinned sheepishly, "Through questionable means. Just get in." Thalia laughed and helped the girls into the car. Luke just shook his head.

"Just start driving, old man."

"Oh. So I'm an old man now? We'll see who's feeling old next time we stop." There was a small groan of regret that was drowned out by Naruto's laughter. He pulled out a map and nodded before setting out for their destination.

* * *

"Are we there yet?"

"Daddy - I have to pee!"

"Are we there yet?"

"Could we pull off to stretch our legs for a few minutes?"

"Are we there yet?"

"Daddy - I'm hungry!"

"Are we there yet?"

"Are we almost there?"

"Look! An eagle!"

"Are we there yet?

Naruto's knuckles were white by the time they pulled into the Sheraton at Salt Lake City. He turned around in his seat, seeing Lucy face first in Thalia's shoulder, Thalia reading Annabeth's copy of 'The Fellowship of the Ring' and Luke and Annabeth plugged into his portable DVD player watching Jurassic Park. Again. And again. And again.

He tapped Annabeth's leg. "We're stopping for the night."

"HOORRAY!" She launched out of the car as fast as she could, quickly followed by Lucy, the pair of them doing cartwheels and stretches to loosen up the muscles tensed by nearly twelve hours of driving. Luke and Thalia were a little slower on the draw, climbing out and stretching luxuriously. Naruto left them to that, walking into the lobby to redeem his reservations. One night, presidential suite, three beds. Someone would have to share, or someone else would end up on the floor, but it would all work out. His reservations went through without a problem, and he was given two keys for the room, which also unlocked the pool and the breakfast buffet in the morning.

When he returned to the car, it had been unloaded by Luke and Thalia, while Annabeth and Lucy were whacking away at each other with two straight sticks.

"Come on you four. Rooms open and pizza's coming for dinner." He handed Luke the other key, and the girls took a suitcase each, Thalia and Luke swinging backpacks over their shoulders, as Naruto did the same with a large duffel bag. Everyone looked exhausted. Luke was moving like an old man, stiff and sore, as Thalia began to tease him about the peach fuzz that was growing in on his cheeks and chin. He snapped at her angrily, and Naruto reprimanded him for his foul language.

Lucy and Annabeth were so hyper they were vibrating in the elevator, Lucy having dug her fox out of her bag, and holding it by the paw. She started to swing it around, and the battered old toy just couldn't take the strain anymore. It tore at the shoulder, leaving Lucy with a paw in her hand and the fox on the floor leaking stuffing.

Everyone stared at her, the elevator dinging to a stop on the top floor, as she began to cry. "His guts are leaking everywhere!" She sobbed, "I killed him! I didn't mean too!" She looked distraughtedly from the paw to the toy and wiped the tears away before more came, faster.

Thalia, taking up a mantle of leadership, jostled everyone else out of the elevator, before kneeling down on Lucy's level. "Lucy. We have an emergency. What happens when people get broken and their arms fall off? Where do they go?"

Lucy sniffled, the tears not stopping. "The hospital. The doctor."

"I have a stuffed animal hospital in my backpack. I need you to pick up your fox..."

"Cuddles. His name is Cuddles."

"I need you to tell Mr. Cuddles it's gonna be okay. Doctor Thalia will see him soon. But first, he needs to stop crying. See how sad he is?" The poor stuffed animal did look sad, it's button eyes pressed into the floor, squished by its nose. Lucy nodded. "He needs a nurse to tell him it's gonna be okay. Can you do that for me?" Lucy nodded again and picked up the toy, holding it close to her face. She started to mumble into its tummy, Luke scooping up the stuffing that fell from it's body as Lucy squeezed it harder and harder.

Naruto tapped Thalia on the shoulder. "Nice job, big sister."

Thalia smiled. "It's nothing... I had to sew my teddy bear enough times that he is covered in scars. Cuddles just needs to be handled gently for a little while."

Naruto nodded. "She won't forget an act of kindness like that. She isn't the type. You'll be in her good books for a LONG time."

Luke had opened the door, and Lucy sat on the couch, a pile of stuffing, Cuddles, and his arm on a coffee table. Thalia pulled a sewing kit out of a pocket of her backpack, set it on the table, then pulled out a raggedy old teddy bear that had most definitely seen better days. It was covered in stitches all the colours of the rainbow, and it's eyes didn't match. She handed it to Lucy, who hugged it tightly, Luke draping a flannel blanket over her shoulders as Thalia went to work stuffing the fox again and stitching it back together with gold thread that sparkled when the light hit it right.

"Cuddles says it hurts." Lucy whispered, a piece of pizza in her hand. "He doesn't like it."

"I'm almost done."

Naruto looked over, and grinned softly. Her stitches were small, neat and strong. She tied off a knot, breaking the thread with her teeth, and gently wrapped Cuddles' arm in a sling.

"Here." The fox was tucked into Lucy's arms, who immediately hugged Thalia.

"Thank you... Thank you..."

Thalia gently returned the hug, her body language almost afraid. "Don't worry about it."

* * *

Half an hour later, Luke had fallen asleep first, head back on the couch, mouth open and snoring. Thalia kept nodding off, her head bobbing repeatedly as she fought to stay awake. Both younger girls were asleep, Annabeth with her head in her hands splayed on the floor, Lucy with her head in Thalia's lap, breathing lightly through a curtain of red hair.

Naruto sighed and decided to start with his girls, picking them up and carrying them to the bed he had claimed as his own, where they curled up beneath the covers, arms around each other. He returned to the main room and shook Luke awake just to the point where he could stumble drunkenly to bed and pass out again. Naruto chuckled, pulling a sheet over him, which Luke promptly kicked off the bed. Naruto shrugged n defeat, and returned for the last time to the main room for Thalia. She was out cold, until he touched her, then she was wide awake, and angry too.

"I wasn't sleeping!"

"Well, everyone else is - so keep your voice down."

She flushed, then scampered to bed. Naruto came in to turn out the light and she sighed. "Naruto?"

He walked in. "What's up?"

"This is gonna sound really dumb - but... C-could you t-tuck me in? P-please?"

He smiled, bringing the covers up to her shoulders, tucking the teddy bear into her arms. He gently pecked her on the cheek. "Goodnight, Thalia."

She hugged him, her voice sounding cracked at she whispered back, "Goodnight, Naruto..."

Naruto shuffled back into his room, seeing a beautiful soft bed inviting him. He collapsed into it with a groan, and let sleep take him.

* * *

The morning brought Naruto a wonderful migraine headache. Mostly because of the girls screaming and attempting to murder Luke.

Wait...

Naruto jumped up out of the bed just in time to flinch as Thalia's foot connected with Luke's crotch. That was painful even to him. He couldn't let the poor boy become sterile.

"WOAH, WOAH! Everybody calm down!"

Everybody stopped and looked at the blond in surprise. Lucy kicked Luke one last time before sitting down on the couch with a huff with Thalia and Annabeth following soon after.

Naruto nodded in acceptance before helping his fellow male to his feet, "Okay. Now, will someone please tell me why Luke here was getting mugged?" Luke groaned and sat down on Naruto's bed slowly. Naruto grimaced and went to get the boy some ice.

Lucy spoke first, "Weeellll, we were all changing in the bathroom and then Luke just walks in. I think it was justified" Annabeth and Thalia made sounds of agreement. Naruto would have smirked beczuse the situation kind of reminded him of Jiraiya's escapades.

But he frowned, "Was the door locked?" He didn't have faith in their answer.

Annabeth sputtered, "Well, no-"

"Were you making noise?"

Thalia frowned, "Not really, but-"

"Had Luke just woke up?"

"Y-yes." Luke sighed with relief when Naruto handed him the ice pack.

Naruto looked at the girls, "Then your actions were completely unjustified. And when we get a house I'm grounding all of you. Trust me. I won't forget." There were three sound of annoyance and disbelief but Naruto silenced them with a glare.

After breakfast Naruto directed his little troupe to the car and got them all packed in. He looked up and saw three old ladies looking at his car from across the parking lot. They pointed at him and their forms flickered into something more terrifying. Things with bat like wings. He jumped into the car and screamed out onto the road, quickly leaving the hotel behind them.

He sighed and smiled, "Next stop; Cheyenne, Wyoming."

He drove for five hours and then a really bad thunderstorm rolled in. Sheets of hail and rain pelted the highway and thunder rumbled through the air. Soon enough Naruto's visibility on the road all but disappeared and he pulled over to the side. He looked around and saw that most of the kids were asleep and Thalia was getting there. He made a clone to stay around the car and he closed his eyes and leaned back in his seat. The storm would end soon.

* * *

A roar sliced through the sound of the storm like a hot knife through butter and Naruto jumped awake. He looked around and noticed that the kids were still asleep and that the storm was still raging strong. In fact it seemed to be getting worse. Naruto created a few more clones to go investigate the guttural noise. After a few minutes of silence Naruto gasped and his eyes widened.

He got flashes of burning red eyes and growling maws through the storm, rain pelting against fur, and the solid thump of wings beating the air.

He quickly started the car and pulled back onto the highway. He could hardly see but he would rather trust his reflexes and drive through the storm than wait it out and face what pursued them. He made it to Cheyenne within the hour. He quickly pulled into a gas station and jumped out to pump the gas. The storm was bigger than Naruto originally thought; much bigger.

It was big enough that Naruto still couldn't see an end to the black, rolling, clouds. Lightning flashed above him and illuminated his surroundings. After he was done pumping he ran inside to pay and grab some sort of food for the kids because they couldn't stop; not now. Whatever was behind them would catch up if they slowed down even just a little. Even this pit stop was risky.

He grabbed a coffee and jumped back into the car before setting down the snacks. He woke up all the kids and told them to use the bathroom and stretch quickly.

"We aren't stopping for the night?" Luke asked in confusion. He didn't see why they wouldn't...

Naruto quickly glanced back towards the west and shook his head, "Not tonight. We're driving through the night." He watched with nervous eyes as they all filed back into the car before getting in himself. He sipped his coffee before pulling back into the storm. It was going to be a long drive and he might have to switch with a clone halfway there.

As he drove Naruto slowly lapsed into his memories. He remembered the early years with the girls. It seemed that they were growing up so fast. It seemed like a cliché thing to think but it held so much truth. He could believe that they were already seven. It seemed unreal. Next thing he knew they would be ten. Being a dad was bittersweet; mostly sweet but it had its bitter moments.

He also took notice how Lucy was hanging around Thalia. They were thick as thieves. It made him smile. The girls had not really been able to make friends in the earlier years because it seemed like everyone was out to get them. It was hard for him and Aella to trust people.

At first this made him worry that Lucy and Annabeth would become socially awkward but they turned out okay. He refocused on the road and wondered if he would be enough ahead of the monsters to be able to stop for a while in Lincoln. He hoped so.

* * *

Thanatos' eyes swept through the brothel, eyes narrowed. Eros was here somewhere. The blonde haired doe eyed prick was here somewhere, and Death had finally come a-knockin'. He scanned the girls again, deciding they were mostly matured daughters of Aphrodite, with a few other gods and goddesses sprinkled throughout.

A girl walked past him, flicking her hair as she walked by. He grabbed her wrist and she squealed happily. She immediately melted to his chest, wrapping her arms around his neck. He didn't touch her. He threw up his Shields of Creep, and she backed off right away.

"I want to speak with Eros."

She toyed absently with a bit of lace on her garter. "Mr. Eros is occupied, I'd be glad to take a message..." She looked up again, and Thanatos held his sickle in his hands, his eyes black and un-seeing. As he spoke, he pulled his hood over his head, casting his face into shadow.

"Tell him Death waits for no man. Or god, for that matter."

She scurried away, and he decided to recline in one of the couches stacked artfully with pillows. Several more girls approached him, and he turned them away, sitting with the hood of his jacket low over his eyes, and a snarl on his face. The girls began to drop like flies squirted with Raid until Eros emerged from behind a royal purple curtain.

"Zeus damn it, Thanatos! My girls are valuable!" The cherub fluttered toward Than, hesitating as fear and cold washed over him, but continuing to the god's side. "What do you want?"

Another girl fell, eyes glassed over and chest unmoving. Thanatos growled, "You owe me a fat-ass favor."

"So... What do you need?"

"Arrows. The most potent ones you have. Ones that will work on immortals."

Eros grinned. "Who is she Than? Why do you need an arrow for a lovely lady? Nemesis perhaps? Trying to lure Persephone away from Hades?"

"Eris."

The cherub bit his lip. "Erm... The arrows won't work on her..."

"Why not?!"

Eros shuffled his wings, tucking them close to his back. "Because she's already loved. And mated too."

"Ares raped her in her childhood. Why should Naruto matter at all?"

"Foxes mate for life, Thanatos. They stay in one relationship." He sighed dreamily. "They're connected by the soul. Isn't it beautiful?"

"Get me your arrows. I want them. Now. And they'd better work." The cherub whimpered and fled to the back room, returning with a quiver with only three arrows in it. Eros shivered, then handed them to the dark god, who threw them over one shoulder. "As you were."

* * *

"Those are my children!"

"Eris. Calm down. The monsters are hunting for the daughter of Zeus. Not for a daughter of Eris."

"Call back the army!" Her hands were shaking. The glass of nectar in her hand sloshed onto the black marble floor. "Lucy and Annabeth killed a hellhound. Why the Hell would they have had to do that? I'll tell you! Because they are being chased across the country with all of your little demons on their heels!"

"I'm not calling the army back. The Great Prophecy speaks of a child of one of the Big Three. She's closest in age... If I get her under my power..."

She closed her ears to him, staring at the nectar in her hands. Only dregs remained. She smiled softly, and looked up through ice-blue fox eyes. She took the last swing of it and smiled.

"What do you think, Eris?"

"That nectar was delicious. Really good." He frowned, walking toward her in confusion. She clenched the glass in her hand, smiling. He stopped about three feet away and she took a deep breath before whipping the glass at his right eye socket. He flinched to the side and it gave her enough of a distraction to unsheathe her sword and strike.

He roared, blocking her strike. "What do you think you're doing?"

She lunged forward, piercing his robes with the thin blade. She withdrew her blade, the tip glittering gold. "Recall the army."

He struck back, his broadsword and staff swinging together toward her head. She bent backward into a flip, kicking him in the jaw and sending her surrogate reeling. She slashed him across the cheek, growling. They locked blades, wrestling for control. She pressed him back into a support column that made the whole hall shudder. Her eyes were fierce and protective, even when being pressed back into a corner. He fought indignantly and with the rage of being told what to do by his daughter. She slashed his opposite cheek to give Hades the matching set of cuts that leaked ichor vigorously.

"Recall the army."

She was losing. But Hades fought for every square inch in which she would back away. Until his ebony staff gave her a blow to the ribs that nearly cleft her into two. She fell, and just as the God of the Dead put his broadsword to her neck in preparation to send her to Tartarus for a few millennium, she was hit with a pink and gold arrow.

She collapsed, her eyes glassing over as she passed into unconsciousness.

Hades looked up, nodding at Thanatos as he emerged from the shadows. The two gods greeted each other with stiff nods, Hades' eyes filled with judgement. "Treat her well, boy. Even if it took an arrow to get you together. She is a goddess. Treat her like one."

Than nodded, pulling the arrow from her side, then pricked the palm of his hand. The dark immortal's eyes clouded with lust, and the quietest god went as silent as the grave. He picked up Eris bridal style and rushed from the room, his footsteps inaudible to even Hades' sensitive ears.

* * *

Eris awoke, her body pressed gently into her bed, her hands traveling a smooth, well-muscled, but cold back. Her vision was foggy, and she panicked, thrashing about until she was released. Her vision had cleared, and she was cold. She shivered, curling up, realizing she had been stripped down to her underwear. Someone wrapped an arm around her waist and she shuddered, the contact sent violent sparks of electricity traveling up and down her spine. She dimly recognized it was Than before she launched herself at him, lips locked fervently as their bodies moved together.

She wasn't in control of herself. She knew when she started to grind against him, listening to his breath hitch in the back of his throat. He pulled her head down to his, his movements jerky and awkward, but trying his hardest. Something clicked in the back of her mind - the part that wasn't focused on fucking her nephew - he was a virgin. She chuckled, and then, suddenly, stopped.

Naruto...

Suddenly, she had control again. Thanatos had hit her with one of Eros' arrows.

She growled. "You are a BASTARD!" She got up, leaving him bucking and squirming. "GET OUT OF MY SIGHT!"

Thanatos whimpered, trying to alleviate his discomfort. "Eris... Eris, please..."

"GET OUT!"

"I need..."

"NOTHING FROM ME! GET OUT! GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM ME!"

He ran, leaving his clothes strewn all over her floor.

She sat in her armchair by the fireplace, shifting forms to the fox-creature with ice blue eyes. She closed her eyes, and tumbled into a sleep filled with dreams that made no sense, filled with twisting shapes that she could smell, colors she could rub against her cheeks. Enemies she fought against, people she died for, and tortures she lived through.

All with a nine-tailed fox at her side, one that nature and instinct claimed was her mate. One she teased and played with, whelped litters for, and curled up with in a den beneath the earth when the snow fell hard as fast.

One whose smell she was cloaked with when she woke, and the feeling of loneliness and grief that came with it.

* * *

Naruto continued with this pattern of stopping when he could to get snacks and let the kids sleep. He managed to stay ahead of their pursuers. But that was until they were just about to enter New York City when something extremely godly and life threatening happened.

He was tired and cranky but he was also extremely happy. Their drive was almost over. All he had to do was make it to Long Island Sound. Apparently the camp was somewhere on the North Shore.

"Ughh. Are we there yet?"

Naruto's fists clenched down on the steering wheel. If he had to listen to those words spill from Luke's mouth one more time he would sew it shut; with something rusty.

Another hour or so and Naruto sighed with relief they would be at the right area to start looking for the camp.

But before Naruto could truly enjoy his personal victory, a deep rumble was heard and the ground cracked and ripped open. In an instant the car had flipped and rolled off the road. The kids didn't even have time to scream. Metal screeched as it was torn and crumpled and the sound of shattering glass filled the night air.

Naruto groaned and blinked back tears as he felt a searing pain in his left arm and nose. He peeled his face from the air bag that had exploded from the steering wheel. He looked around and the girls started to freak out. He looked over in worry at Thalia, who had been, in the passenger seat at the time. She appeared to be okay but was unconscious.

He glanced around in worry, "Is everyone okay?" He hoped the crash hadn't been been as bad as it seemed.

"Everyone is fine back here. Just a bit shaken up, " Luke said as he pulled his arm back from holding the girls in place. Naruto smiled at that. That was why he trusted Luke.

"Yeah, we're fine, daddy."

"I'm not dead."

Naruto nodded and went to open the door with his right arm because he was sure that the left was broken. It didn't budge an inch. He sighed and undid his seatbelt before climbing out of the window, an act that earned him a few more cuts. After he was out he reached up and set his broken nose with a crunch and a wince. That wasn't that bad. He then gripped his left arm and wrenched it sharply. A loud crack and a growl of pain followed. Slowly Naruto made his way over to Thalia's door and opened it with a little force as it was the least damaged of the doors. She groaned and he slipped her onto his back and hooked his right arm under her thighs to keep her there.

Luke climbed out of his window before helping the two girls out. Naruto looked around and got his bearings straight. But then the sound of howling and growling sliced through the silence of the twilight. The blond man's eyes widened in fear for the kids. Hellhounds. How had the caught up so quickly? He turned to Luke, "We need to move. The camp can't be too far away. Take the girls and run. I'll follow and try to mix up the scent."

"What about Thalia?"

Naruto looked back at the girl on his back and smiled reassuringly, "She'll be fine with me. Don't worry. I won't be far behind."

Luke nodded and grabbed the girls' hands before pulling them away despite their protests.

Naruto set Thalia down before making an all too familiar hand sign and shouted, "Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

Soon the woods were filled with over two thousand copies of the blond jinchūriki, dressed in jeans and orange pullovers. Naruto felt the strain from that one, as he had poured over three-fourths of his chakra into it. He had to save some just in case. He picked Thalia back up on his back and addressed his clones, "Ok. I want some of you to scatter. Set traps if you can, spread our scent around. But I want most of you to attack the enemy directly. We don't have much but slow them down."

He got a resounding, "YOSH!" And there was a rush of movement as his clones went to carry out his orders. He took off after Luke and the girls.

Naruto felt like he was back in the war. He kept getting flashes of his clones being destroyed. Claws ripped into their skin, teeth crushed bone, and there were whips, too. He kept wincing and he almost ran into trees more than once. But finally he could hear Luke running with his daughters up ahead. The trees started to thin out as he got closer to them and then suddenly he burst from the treeline onto a grass field that sloped upwards into a huge hill. The camp had to be on the other side.

Luke and the girls were already climbing the thing but when he tried to run after them he slammed into some sort of barrier. It felt like he'd just sprinted into a brick wall. Suddenly he felt very small and insignificant. Only demigods could enter camp. He should have seen that coming. But if he couldn't enter then monsters couldn't either, right? His eyes filled with sadness and he slowly shook Thalia awake and explained the situation.

"You need to go with them, I'll cover you."

Thalia's eyes sparked with insubordination, "No! You have to come with us. We won't leave you." She wouldn't let the only good father figure she'd ever had slip away that easily.

Naruto laughed sadly, "I can't. I would if I could. But I can't. I'm not going to argue. Go. I'll see you on the other side. One way or another." The black haired girl looked like she wanted to argue more but Naruto pushed her through the barrier where Luke grabbed her around the waist. He'd left the girls up on the hill and told them to go ahead without him. They knew that they needed to wake the camp.

Luke dragged Thalia away with tears brimming at his eyes. He had gotten attached to the man. But that was the gods for you. They took everything away.

Naruto let out a shuddering sigh. He couldn't fight that entire army by himself. He didn't have enough chakra left. The drive had taken a toll on him mentally and what most people didn't know was that mental weakness played a part in chakra regeneration. He wouldn't be able to hold sage mode long enough to fight an entire army and the Bijuu mode as he used it eats away at his normal chakra. His eyes widened before dimming again as he reached within his mind, "Kurama. I need your help. Protect the camp. Use my body as long as you can."

"You know that can kill us right? And by extension me?"

"Really. You're gonna be like that? After all we've been through?"

"Fine! For you, you stubborn human."

"I knew you loved me."

Instead of getting an answer he got pain as he released control of his body over to the fox. He used the good part of Kurama's chakra. The warm, and caring part. This was the other part. He and by extension Kurama let out an agony filled howl as they're skin was burned off and replaced by a mass of angry, swirling, red chakra. Their howls escalated as the chakra body contorted and forced their muscles and bones to bend in a way that was decidedly not human. Their eyes became shining white lights. His clothes were swallowed by the chakra and four waving tails of the stuff sprung out behind him.

The fox added more and roared out to the heavens as the sky darkened and the clouds quickly rolled in. This was the power of the Nine-Tailed fox. A creature that could level mountains and create tsunami's with a swipe of it's tails. In the bay, the water started to roil and the air itself was laden with the beasts overwhelming power.

Naruto felt his mind slip into the back and rest as his partner took over. Kurama's head twitched as he listened and tried to locate the army that had been pursuing his partner and his litter. Suddenly he felt the vibrations through the earth and he snapped his head towards the sound. A wicked grin formed on the Fox-Naruto's face as his eyes closed ever so slightly. In an instant he was gone and dashing through the trees.

The hounds didn't even know what hit them. Kurama weaved through the trees and crashed through the ones he didn't avoid. He wanted them to know he was coming. It wouldn't change their fates. He fell upon their ranks like a rockslide on a forest. His claws tore his first victim asunder as he roared out his satisfaction. Then one slammed into his flank and managed to move him a few feet. Impressive. These were powerful creatures. But they were flies to him and he would make sure they knew their place

He dashed around the forest, clawing and crushing as if it were a game. There were many foes to deal with but he managed to finish the lot of them within ten minutes. An impressive time.

Kurama rushed back to the hill because he had destroyed the opposing force. But something kept nagging at him. He trotted up to the barrier and snarled in displeasure. It was an insult to him that these 'gods' believed he could be stopped by such a pitiful wall. He raised a clawed hand before clenching it into a fist and slamming it into the barrier with a roar.

A flash of light pulsed out from the collision and traveled in a wave around the barrier. Kurama smirked and snarled as a fifth tail came into existence. But he wasn't just going to break the barrier. No, he was going to shatter it

He opened up his chest to the sky and roared out a challenge as the clouds darkened and started to swirl. Rain started to fall in sheets and a huge glob of red chakra fell from the sky onto the Fox-Naruto. The extra chakra swirled around him before forming into white bone. Specifically the bones of a fox. The skull formed around head before snapping open to show his face. The spine formed over his back and from it sprouted four legs that hovered over his. He snarled in pain as another tail formed making a total of six. But he pushed for more and the skeleton he formed sunk into his chakra skin and he grew to fit the ivory armour. Ribs grew from the spine and encircled his torso. A seventh tail formed and bone crept into it and the other six.

Kurama grinned maniacally. Yes, this should be enough. He slammed a bony hand into the barrier and a great boom rung out into the air as another wave of light flashed out. Rain sizzled as it hit his skin. He raised his left and threw a haymaker into the same spot. He continued to rain blows down on the wall, creating a spectacular light show. Finally he roared and clasped both hands together before slamming them sideways into the barrier with all the power he could muster.

There was a great sound of metal rending metal. Like two great warriors fighting for dominance. But finally, the great Kyuubi no Kitsune proved he was not to be trifled with as the barrier flashed once more before fading out of existence. Kurama huffed in satisfaction before fading back into his cage. His job was over. The angry chakra and bone receded back into the seal leaving Naruto on his knees, burnt and in agony.

But the blond man had a will greater than most as he stood to his feet and slowly made his way up the hill. By the time he made his way to the top of the hill his vision was darkening and he could no longer feel his body. He just felt numb. He flipped over on his back and looked up at the black sky as the rain fell against his face. He couldn't quite feel it but he could almost sense Aella stroking his whisker marks. He knew it was probably his imagination but it felt nice. Just as he was about to give in into the darkness he felt someone sink to their knees beside him and start to frantically scream at him.

"-et up! ...ruto, get up! Please! There are...of them! Get up!"

His vision cleared up enough to see Thalia looking down at him with tears rolling down her face. Or maybe it was just the rain. He tried to follow her instructions but he couldn't move. He just couldn't. The darkness began encroaching on his vision again. The sound of paws slamming into muddy ground and snarling permeated the sound of the storm. Thalia's eyes filled with fear and she buried her face into his chest and sobbed. He found enough strength to wrap his arms around her and stroke her hair. He didn't have enough power to defend them and the hellhounds were too close to them for running to be useful.

Naruto whispered quietly to her, "Shhhh. Its okay. Don't cry. I'll see you on the other side." They seemed like grim words but he said the in such a caring and fatherly tone that it quelled the girl's sobs. He himself was scared but not for himself. He trusted Luke to take care of the girls'. Finally he sighed and let the darkness take him. The last thing he saw was a flash of lightning.

* * *

Her hands were soft, and fingers cool

It was dark, and when he found the strength to open his eyes, her hands disappeared, leaving two spots of peace on his chest before the burns overcame them, leaving him in agony. It felt like he was being bitten by red ants, then having the wounds washed with salt water.

He tried to sit up and a very familiar voice snarled. "Lay down, moron." He didn't want to lay down, trying to match the voice with a speaker as he peered into the darkness, finding a shadow that darted around in the dark like it belonged there. The voice came from the shadow, as it snarled. "If you don't lay down by the time I count to three..." The threat dwindled off. "I'll..."

Somehow, he found the strength to be a smartass. "You'll what?" His eyes were beginning to adjust. "Leave me here alone? Come on."

A pair of gold eyes flashed in his face, and something very, very sharp was pressed to the soft space below his left ear. "Be thankful Romulus and I hold the stations we do. Things may get very unfortunate very fast if we..." He felt something prick his skin. "If we happened to switch."

Her weapon retracted with a click, and she held a cool glass to his lips, urging him to drink. It was something salty that reminded him vaguely of miso soup, but at the same time it was sweet, like summer strawberries. When he had drained the glass, her hands returned to his skin, soothing the many burns and scrapes.

"Am I dead?"

"No. A fortunate accident brought you to a state of hibernation. You were too ill to brave the shallowest state, so Romulus ordered me to pull you a little deeper."

"Ordered you?!"

"Don't sound so defensive. I've dealt with bigger jerks than him. And trust me, we order each other equally. It just depends which path you are on at the time." She ignored the hitch in his breath as her hands worked their magic in his erogenous zones, but decided he was thankful for it when the particularly painful burning stopped. She ran her fingers along his whisker marks in a small gesture of affection, and returned to the darker shadows of the room. She returned with a pair of pants and a shirt that fit him reasonably well, then moved him from a gurney made of rock to a softly padded alcove rich with pillows of silk and velvet. "Do you need anything? I need to go talk to the others..."

"Others?"

"Thalia, her angel and demon, Kurama, Oturan and Romulus. They're playing poker - which I suck at. No poker face. So - I may be gone for a while. Do you need anything?"

"A cup of coffee? Maybe a book or something to write with?

She was prompt, and returned with a cup of coffee, a sheaf of paper with several fine quills, india ink, and a leather journal. "The journal is my story. I can get Romulus' too."

"I'll be alright..." She vanished again, but he called after her. "Noxx?"

"Yeah?" She emerged from the shadows, fastening her dark robe over her clothes.

"Thank you."

She smiled shyly. It was much prettier than when she smiled with that crooked leer he had seen the first time he met her. She ran her fingers along his whisker marks again, and gently kissed his cheek. "No problem." She disappeared into the gathering darkness

A few hours passed. Then a few days. Naruto was losing patience. He finally gathered his strength and rose, Noxx's journal slipping from his lap. He headed in the direction she had gone, eventually passing into a wide tranquil state, something that looked like the inside of an eggshell. Sitting around a table were seven people with cards in their hands, sitting in large, backed armchairs.

"Noxx, you're the big blind."

She tossed in a few pretzels, munching on a few more.

The bids weren't with poker chips, but with varying types of junk food. It made Naruto smile as he sat down in an available chair, and grinned. "Deal me in." He was going to rob them blind.

* * *

**I don't have much to say about this chapter other than the fact that it was long as hell. Any other chapters after this one won't be nearly as long. Which mean I'll upload quicker. If you have any question then PM and I'll try to get back to you.**


	5. Chapter 5

***Sighs* Im back. Sorry guys, real life stuff. But don't worry, I heard/read your reviews and have uploaded as you've requested. There is a slight part in here regarding Lucy and her training. Specifically who is doing the training. If you don't approve then I sincerely apologize. But I also don't think it that big of a deal because it's only a small part in the large scheme of things. Don't make mountains out of molehills guys. Nobody like _that _person.**

* * *

The hall had been restored to its former glory. The columns were higher than before and the ceilings arched for extra strength. Zeus was standing in the center of the hall, waiting for his family to arrive. He had been challenged violently by his daughter, who stood across the hall with her eyes narrowed. The hall was quietly lined with gods, appearing with near silent puffs of energy, revealing the entire family, clustered and afraid.

Eris was nearly trembling with energy, her entire body tensed and prepared to pounce. She had no visible weapon, neither did Zeus, though the gods and goddesses gathering knew his Master Bolt was only a call away.

She looked up at him, growling. "You sealed him in a tree."

"He called up a demon and destroyed the barrier of the camp. Am I just supposed to let that go?!"

"You sealed him in a fucking pine tree."

"He did it to himself. He moved Thalia just as the lightning struck." He growled. "And since when do you care?"

Her hand twitched to the folds of her chiton, playing with the soft, silken fabric that slid between her fingers. She looked at her father. "Since I carried his child for six months."

"He's mortal! Why should you care about him at all?"

She looked away. "Father... Have you ever strived for millennia to find something you couldn't have? Knowing that you couldn't ever come to have it - even when you found it?" Her hair hung in her face, hand trailing to her pocket again. "Well. I found it. And you took it from me. I found love. The one thing I couldn't have and you took it from me."

Her hand closed around something concealed within her chiton, and Zeus' Master Bolt flew to his hand. The air began to smell of ozone. Lightning crackled around the mountain, making the gods press closer on father and daughter, who began to circle each other like wolves. Eris still had not drawn her weapon, but if you looked closely, you could see something round clutched in her hand.

Zeus lost his patience and struck forward, lightning arcing toward his daughter like a bullwhip, the tip blinding and deadly. Somehow, he missed, and Eris survived, thunder ringing in her ears. Zeus may have been impatient, cocky, and self-centered, but he was honorable.

He growled, stepping backward, taking up a defensive stance. "Your move."

The gods held their breath, watching Eris play with whatever was in her pocket. The tension in the room was nearly palatable, and drops of nervous sweat beaded on Zeus' forehead. She looked around, rolling her weapon between her fingers.

There was a high-pitched whine that emanated from beneath the immortals feet, and Eris pulled a golden apple from the folds of her black chiton. Carved into the side was "καλλίστῃ".

She smiled and dropped the apple, a hole opening in the floor, the whining turning into the sound of jet engines plummeting out of the sky. Her grin turned crooked and sly. "For the fairest..." There were a few seconds of complete and total silence before a crash resonated through the hall, there was the sound of something crumpling, and then it seemed like half of New York was on fire.

There was calamity. Everyone was rushing everywhere, trying to support the structure, trying not to let the World Trade Center collapse on itself. Eris relaxed and there was a similar high-pitched whine before a second plane smashed through the tower and caused it to collapse. People were dying, a war was starting, families were being torn apart like sheets of wrapping paper on Christmas Day.

She shivered with unrestrained pleasure, smiling happily. The hall was in chaos, the world was about to be turned on its head. She melted into the floor, fleeing to a place where she knew she could lay low for a while.

Canada.

* * *

She still had vivid nightmares.

Like a movie rolling before her eyes, a clip on repeat, playing over and over. Forever. In the dreams she was trapped on her side of the border, watching the... Thing... That her father had become, destroy the army that followed them, ripping with teeth like knives, claws that cut through monsters like scissors through silk, the entire time the skin rolling and changing color like boiling blood, dark and ominous. Then the movie would fast forward until the lightning flashed down in a ragged arc of light so white and so hot she didn't have a dream of looking at it. She would be thrown back against a nearby tree by the sound wave, and then, when she blinked through the haze to look up, there was nothing. A tall pine tree where her father had knelt, urging Thalia on.

She had been only seven. Now, as the days grew longer in the summer before her twelfth birthday, she thought she had forgotten the way he looked. She had no pictures, no videos, only memories. Memories that faded quickly as sand running through her fingers.

It was Friday. She made the straps on her armour tighter, tucking them out of sight. She picked up her helm, then discarded it. An equipment belt went around her waist, several small pouches that carried objects of interest she had received as inheritance from her mother on the day she was claimed. She braided her long, auburn hair back out of her face, then headed to the washrooms with a little tub of paint in her left hand. In her right was the bronze chokuto that had grown with her, getting longer and heavier as she got taller and stronger.

"Hey! Tomato!"

She turned to meet Clarisse, a girl from the Ares cabin who was always causing trouble. She had backup in the form of two burly boys who clearly believed in brawn over brain. She had been the one to start calling her tomato about half-way through January. Now, two days into the summer, anyone who had a slight distaste for her had begun to call her by that hated nikname.

"What did you call me?"

Clarisse sneered, "Your face. It's all round and soft like a tomato. As red as your hair."

Lucy's hands unconsciously went to the pouch on her waist. She sheathed the chokuto, slinging the blade over her back, the handle protruding over her left shoulder.

Clarisse snarled again. "So, Tomato. My brother has decided he like your samurai sword. We give you one chance to hand it over before shit hits the fan."

"It's my chokuto. You aren't going to touch it." Her hands closed around the handle of a kunai, the metal warming in her hand.

"Wrong answer." The two boys moved forward and Lucy lowered her center of gravity, bending her knees. She reached within her, calming herself, imagining her happy place. Her perfect world. Mummy and Dad sitting together, watching Lucy and Annabeth play together on the lawn. Lucy had learned the lesson her father had so many years ago. Orphans have to grow up quickly, or they don't survive.

One of the boys grabbed her by the wrist, the other pulling on the handle of her chokuto from its sheath. She snarled, and getting a handful of gold powder in her fingers, threw it straight into his eyes. He recoiled with a shout, trying to rub the sulphur from his eyes. Lucy wrestled free from the boy who had grabbed her, and elbowed him in the kidney, pulling the kunai over one of his cheeks in a warning. It sliced open effortlessly and she turned to face Clarisse, who had pulled a short sword from her belt, the edges honed to a paper thin edge.

Lucy meant to pull her chokuto from its sheath, but couldn't seem to find the handle. She groped for it blindly, then realized what had happened. The boy whose cheek she had sliced open was making off with it!

She sprinted after him, catching up quickly in spite of her armour. She silently thanked the gods for her father's genetics, as she felt a familiar flood of energy and power surge through her. Her vision sharpened, and time slowed. The boy was running out of energy, and he started to slow down. She was waiting for him when he stopped, her teeth pulled back in a snarl, ice-blue eyes flashing.

"Give me my sword, imbecile."

He growled. "Finders keepers, Tomato."

She was starting to hate that nickname. Her hands balled into fists, the kunai tucked back into her pouch, and she looked up at him, trembling. "Don't call me that again."

"What do you want, Tomato?" She growled, as he put his face close to hers. "The same treatment as your mother? Huh? My little cherry tomato?" He made the mistake of caressing her cheek.

She moved faster than his eye could follow, wrenching her chokuto out of his hands, pressing it to the back of his neck. She was shaking with absolute rage and despair. "Mention what your father did to my mother one more time - and I'll chop off your he..." She growled, and licked her lips, getting close to his ear, "No... I'll rip out your eyes, shove them down your throat, so you can watch me rip apart your bloody, broken body with my bare hands!" She shoved him away from her, sheathing her blade and stalked off in the direction of the bathrooms once more, her war paint in hand.

In the mirror, she painted on thick, dark whiskers over her birthmarks, making them more prominent. She opened her mouth, and pulled two large, vampire teeth out of her pocket, fixing the fake teeth over her canines, giving her a dangerous smile. Finally, she shaded her eyes, the blue standing out unnaturally against the black paint. She grinned, then sprinted for the forest, where teams were already being picked. She locked eyes with her sister, who nodded, and tried to get to her captain, pleading for him to call Lucy to their team.

The captain snarled, loud enough to hear, "I don't want her on my team. She's unpredictable and can't follow orders." His voice rose again, "She's a Tomato too. Who wants a tomato on their team?"

Annabeth growled. "I do." She bit her lip, looking at Lucy with wide eyes. "She's my sister."

Lucy had just about had enough of the Tomato nickname. She reached behind her, grasping the handle of her blade to calm herself. She was the last person to be picked, her head hung and fists clenched. The captain of Annabeth's team grudgingly called her to his side and Annabeth approached Lucy carefully, laying a hand on her arm. "Lucy..."

"Don't touch me."

"Lucy come on. Lighten up. You don't have to be such a Tomato over it."

Lucy snarled, turned to Annabeth. "What did you call me?" She watched as her sister covered her mouth with her hands, grey eyes widening in apology.

"Lucy... Lucy, I didn't mean it - I swear. I was going to say spoiled sport. I swear."

"You called me a tomato. I HATE being called a TOMATO! AND YOU KNOW IT! THAT'S WHAT MAKES IT WORSE!"

Annabeth growled, "It was a mistake okay? Don't get all pissy over a simple mistake."

Before she knew what she was doing, Lucy had drawn back, and hit Annabeth hard enough to knock her sister flat on her back. Annabeth screamed, and clutched at her nose, blood flowing hard and fast. Lucy was panting, her fists shaking at her sides. She whimpered, "I'm not sorry." And bolted into the trees, launching up into the branches to hide. The team below her was discussing strategy, and mourning the loss of one of their best strategists. Lucy listened in, and decided she would guard the flag from above, in case of an ambush.

Everyone broke off, and the game started right away, Lucy running through the trees with speed and skill, still trembling about what she had done to Annabeth. If Dad had been around...

She heard something coming through the underbrush, and tensed, waiting for her enemy to approach. Her hand went into her pouch, this time pulling out a black powder. She also pulled out a box of matches. The flag fluttered in a light wind blowing away from her, inviting and surprisingly, supposedly unguarded.

He was a thin boy, with dark hair that stuck up at unnatural angles and black eyes. He looked around the clearing, eyes narrowed. She smirked and jumped down in front of the flag, striking a match against the sandpaper so it lit. The boy growled, locking eyes with Lucy. She grinned as he charged toward her, blowing the gunpowder in his face before igniting it. He recoiled from the fireball, and pulled a bronze sword from his belt and the two clashed together, bronze on bronze.

She easily spun the sword out of his hands, and he backed right away. He looked around for something to use as a weapon, but Lucy advanced toward him, spinning her sword on her left side. She was grinning, showing off her fake teeth. What he did next scared the living daylights out of her. He signalled quickly, hands flying with speed through several different positions. He grinned wickedly and shouted something in a language she did not know.

Lucy's eyes widened and she ducked as a great fireball emerged , barreling toward her directly. She froze, a deer in the headlights. She jumped out of the way at the last second, allowing the boy to dart in and steal the flag. She could care less about it.

Her hair was on fire.

She screamed, trying to beat the fire out. She could feel the heat getting close to her skin as the flames licked the hair from her head. Someone grabbed her braid, and cut the long hair away, letting it burn out. She trembled, and looked around, meaning to thank whoever was there. All she encountered was dark forest.

The captain of her team suddenly came barreling through the trees, finding Lucy standing in the clearing, shaking with adrenaline. He shouted, "Where's the flag? He grabbed her shoulders and shook her. "Where's the goddamn flag?" Lucy started trembling uncontrollably, her eyes rolling back into her head, and the captain dropped her as she started writhing madly on the charred ground. He sounded a horn that called off the fight and shouted for Chiron.

* * *

"Lucy... I'm sorry." Annabeth was fighting a losing battle with an exasperated opponent. Lucy had refused nectar, knowing it wouldn't help, even as the occasional aftershock tremor made her face screw up in agony. Annabeth whimpered, "Lucy. Come on. I said I was sorry..."

"Go away," Lucy growled, turning her back on her sister. "I know why you really want me to accept your apology. Everyone knows Percy is going on a quest this summer. Even a Tomato knows that he's going to ask you to go with him."

Annabeth was stunned into silence. When she did pluck up the courage to speak, she whispered, "You need to talk to Mummy some more. She can help you with what you are going through."

"I don't want to talk to Mummy. It's her fault - don't you see? If she had stuck around - none of this would have happened! We'd still be in San Francisco, living happily, sleeping in the same room..." Her mind trailed back to the foxes on her wall. She wondered what they looked like now... The momma and papa fox with their backs turned, the kit in between trying to drag them back? Lucy shuddered, "We'd still have a family."

Annabeth said. "We still are a family. Just... Broken."

"Get out." Lucy could feel the tears coming. "Get out."

Annabeth sighed, gently hugging her sister. "I love you Lucy."

Lucy said nothing. Annabeth walked out of her room in the Big House and headed back for the Athena cabin. Lucy sat up, and looked around the room, inhaling the smell that came with it. When her mother had claimed her, Eris had been the first goddess in two millennia to put her foot down at her demigod daughter being under the care of Hermes. The floor of the room was plush carpet, with Eris' symbol etched into the dark purple carpet in a shimmering gold color. The fox had its forepaw on an apple, and was grinning mischievously. The walls were painted with murals that moved and shifted on an almost daily basis. Right now, there was a unicorn surrounded by a burning forest, its eyes alight with terror as a monster of pure flame rose out of the ashes of its home.

Lucy lay down again, and shut out the light. She tossed and turned for nearly two hours, and eventually started to try and copy what the boy, whose name she had learned was Ethan, had done. She concentrated on the hand signals, and felt something tingle through her mind, her heart, and finally running down to her fingers. She smiled, and tried again, shivering with the satisfaction as the tingles coursed through her.

"You don't want to be messing around with something like that."

Her head darted up and she gasped. He was silhouetted in the door, arms crossed, a stern frown on his face, eyes glinting blue in the darkness. He was back. She knew he would come to her first. "Daddy?"

His frown deepened, and he growled. "Not exactly."

She stood, her hand reaching slowly for her chokuto. "Then who are you?"

"Someone who's going to teach you how to use what you're playing with before you make something explode."

Her blade was in her hand, and her body tensed. "That's not an answer. Who are you?"

"A warrior. A teacher. A father. Much like yours."

She growled, unsheathing her blade, and darting toward him in exasperation. She knew she was fast, and strong. Daddy had hardened her, not in the way Mummy had thought, but in ways that turned her fearless and fierce. She launched up, bringing her blade behind her head in a two-handed blow that would cleave him into pieces. Her blade split the floor, and a soft chuckling came from the area close to her desk. "You're impatient. Not a bad trait - but a dangerous one. It'll get you into trouble."

She ran for him again, and he threw something over her head that stuck in the doorframe. She ducked, rolling into a crouch, and the infuriating chuckling came from the door now. "Stop laughing at me!"

"Stop giving me reasons to laugh."

She gave a half-swing and he threw the glimmer of steel over her head felt time slow again and she inhaled slowly, seeing the three-pronged kunai with strange writing on the handle. She grabbed it in her hand, watching as he was tugged along by the knife like he was attached to it by a piece of string. She growled, throwing it into the floor at her feet, where she wound up for a strike. He took his stance and grabbed her wrist, his grip like iron and his eyes like diamonds. She gasped, and he bared his teeth, his wrist twitching ever so slightly to her right. She had the choice of dropping the chokuto or having him snap her wrist.

She took the first option, allowing him to believe she was only right-handed. But he was wrong. She could fight with both hands. Uncle Than had taught her how. She flipped backward away from him, wrenching her hand free and slashing at his torso. He batted the blade away, pivoted in on his left foot and pinned her arms to her sides, locking her legs with his before bending her into a pretzel, putting incredible pressure on her spine.

Ice-blue eyes defiant, she growled her defeat. He gently lowered her to the ground, before helping up again.

"Do you want to learn, Lucy?"

She nodded, her eyes downcast. "Yes, sir."

"Not sir. Sensei."

She nodded, "Yes, Sensei."

He ruffled her hair fondly. "You have your grandmother's hair."

She was shocked by the display of affection. "My father said the same thing once. I liked her name."

"Kushina."

She nodded. "She was a fox too. Like me and Daddy and Mummy. Daddy said so."

His eyes turned dark for a moment. She pulled back, suddenly and inexplicably scared. He looked at her carefully, and his fingers gently brushed against her cheek, seeing the whisker marks there. He snapped out of it right away. "Did he ever say anything about a man named Minato?"

It clicked. "How can I talk to you? You're supposed to be dead."

"You have two grandfathers. Playing with ninjutsu is dangerous. One of us had to interfere before you hurt yourself." His eyes turned kind. "Be ready to learn tomorrow night. You're far behind for your age - but that isn't entirely your fault. At least you're in good shape."

She nodded, and climbed back into bed, tucking herself in. He turned for the door and she whimpered, making him pause. He took a step back to maintain his balance as she collided with his chest, burying her face.

He smiled softly as his shirt turned wet. "Be strong Lucy. And get your rest now. You're going to be tired this summer. You have a lot to learn."

She nodded, and turned back to bed. When she turned around again, her newfound sensei was gone.

* * *

Noxx was right. She absolutely SUCKED at poker. She bled pretzels, bet too high too soon, and had more than one tell that would tell you exactly what kind of cards she had. Naruto was ruthless, and exploited her until she had nothing left, and retired to the far wall of the eggshell they were suspended in, painting strange symbols on the white surface with her fingers.

Naruto was about to play a full house of clubs when she looked up, and turned to him. "You have a visitor. But she can't come down here. It isn't safe for her."

Romulus growled. "It isn't safe for him to go up there either."

Noxx and Romulus stood in sync and walked toward each other, frowns upon their faces. She started to rasp, click, and grumble in a language low in her throat, arguing viciously with him. He replied in the same language, his eyes turning black as hers flared gold. She struck first, flicking his ear in irritation with a rude grumble. Then weapons began to emerge, red swords and blades like lion's teeth, along with various and well-sharpened pieces of metal, some of which Naruto recognized, some of which he didn't.

Kurama and Oturan were watching with interested eyes, Kurama supporting a wicked smirk.

Naruto jumped between his angel and demon, arms spread wide. "Woah! Woah! Why don't I get a say in this?!" Noxx and Romulus snarled at him, but he didn't quail, simply standing straight with his arms crossed over his chest. He rolled his eyes. "Really guys? Can't you just let me make this choice?" The two beings looked at eachother, then nodded, weapons fading away as Romulus sat at the table again, and Noxx went back to painting. "Who is it?"

"Lucy." They answered together.

His blue eyes widened and he grabbed Noxx's arm. She flinched at his tight hold, but didn't pull away. "Take me to her."

Noxx nodded and pressed her right hand to the side of the egg and a door opened, revealing a set of white stairs that lead up for a long time. He groaned at the prospect of having to climb them all, but the image of the baby with pink hair filled his mind and he started to take the stairs three or four at a time, making Noxx work to keep up with him. When they reached the top of the stairs after what felt like an eternity, Naruto opened a door, and stepped onto fresh grass, looking at a girl with short red hair leaning up against a pine tree, talking to herself.

"You can talk to her and you can touch her - but when sunset comes you need to come back into the tree. Or you will be stuck as an apparition here. Forever."

He nodded, and took a step away from Noxx, and sat carefully next to Lucy. She started and flinched away, eyes wide. He gently kissed her cheek and she gasped. "Yes, Lucy. I'm here. Daddy's here."

She whimpered. "I can't see you..."

He gently used a genjutsu, letting her see where he was. She tried, on a reflex, to push him from her mind, and he was surprised by how strong she had gotten. She wasn't a little girl anymore. She had cut her hair so it framed her face in soft waves, her blue eyes had hardened, making her look fierce, and her whisker marks had darkened considerably. He noticed, with some trepidation, that she was beginning to grow curvy, but that couldn't be helped. "Lucy. How old are you? How long have I been gone?"

She looked away. "I'll be twelve in November."

He choked. Twelve? No way. No fucking way. He enveloped her in his arms, pulling her close. Both of them shuddered, fighting the tears. "I'm so sorry, Lucy..."

"It's been so hard. There are days where it feels like it's just me against the world. And I'm trying my best but there's no one to help me. Just me." She took a deep breath. "And it's only been in the last two weeks or so that I finally feel like there is someone out there who wants to help me."

"Who?" His eyes had narrowed. This was getting dangerously close to boyfriend territory. "You need to be careful around people like that Lucy. They'll help you one second and then turn around and stab you in the next."

She smiled. "Don't worry Dad. You'd trust him if you knew who he was and what he was teaching me." Her fingers twitched and he looked at her seriously."

"What is he teaching you?"

"I can't do it yet. He says I'm not ready."

Naruto frowned. "Lucy. Tell me. What is he teaching you?"

"I want to show you! But Sensei said not to do it without him around! It's dangerous."

Sensei? Why would she call him that? He frowned, and released her so he could cross his arms and look stern. "Tell me who he is."

Her eyes suddenly widened happily and she pointed over his shoulder. Her movements were strange, smooth and calm, not like the rambunctious little girl who had constantly pulled pranks on her uncle and sister. She got to her feet and smiled, rushing the cloaked figure silhouetted by the setting sun.

Noxx grabbed Naruto by the shirt collar and hauled him to his feet. "Come on!"

He shoved her away, trying to get his eyes to adjust. When they did, his jaw dropped. "Dad?"

Noxx growled. "Naruto! Get your ass back in this pine tree!" She grabbed him, dragging him backward into the tree.

Minato turned to Naruto and held up a tiny familiar bell, which glinted silver in the last rays of the day. He winked.

Noxx had fallen down the stairs, just able to tug Naruto back through the pine tree before the sun set. The shinobi was reeling. Had Hades sent Minato back to keep his daughter safe? Was Lucy trying to follow the path he himself had taken? Did she know what the connotations would be? She was almost twelve... Kami, where had the time gone? Almost five years since he had seen her, held her, wiped away her tears.

The sound of tears brought him back to the inside of the egg, and he began to search for their source, wandering down the stairs until he came upon a scene that both confused him, but put him at ease. Noxx had gash on her face, stretching over her temple, beginning at her hairline and ending at her cheekbone. Tears turned her young, as did her fear, not wanting to be concussed or lose any of the talents she coveted religiously. Romulus knelt next to her, helping her to calm down, running his fingers through her short hair, speaking in that low, clicking voice that was a language only the two of them knew.

As Naruto descended the steps, Noxx looked up at him, and turned her back, wiping her eyes and getting to her feet before returning to the poker game, her eyes cast low, and blood as black as ink running down the side of her face.

Romulus looked at the blonde, dark eyes filled with a quiet sort of wisdom before he followed her, sitting down and picking up his cards with one hand, the other reaching beneath the table to gently squeeze hers. It was a complex relationship, he could see that, but the two forgotten warriors were a team. One that would stand the test of time.

He sat down and smirked, and as he had for the past several games, bled Noxx dry. This time, though, instead of complaining, she took it in a complacent silence, with only one small change.

Her hazel eyes were burning a bright, angry gold, and the fingers of her spare hand drummed on the smooth table as if they flew across a keyboard. Her lip curled, and Naruto felt a trill of fear run up his spine. She was the one watching over Aella and his girls. She had twisted Ares into Artaxias.

He wondered which of his manipulators was the angel and which was the demon for the umpteenth time. It unnerved him so much, that he lost to Oturan, who accepted his Red Vines with a quiet smirk.

* * *

Lucy groaned, the breath driven out of her for the seventh time that night. Dawn was beginning to take the black out of the horizon, and her chokuto had been thrown into the bushes. Again. She sat up and spat blood, coughing into her hand. She looked up at Minato and wiped her eyes, trying to keep the tears from bleeding down her cheeks. He had kicked her ass more than a dozen times in the past night.

He stood in the light of the rising sun and offered her his hands, his blue eyes shining with sympathy. "Lucy, you're doing a good job..."

She snapped at him, "I'm not! I can't do anything right!" She spat more blood, shaking her head, feeling the tears sliding down her cheeks. "I can't do anything!"

He struck her with the flat of his hand. "Stop that."

She screeched and launched at him with nothing in her hands, swinging at him wildly for the first few punches, but then she felt herself fall into a stance, and there was a switch in her mentality that suddenly turned on. She struck fast and accurate, once catching her teacher on the shoulder and making him take a step backward. She stepped forward and gained ground. He pulled a hold on her that she almost managed to squirm out of before he closed the jaws of the trap. He drove her to the ground, and placed a foot on her chest. She screamed and squirmed, trying to get away from him, pissed that she had so quickly lost the ground she had gained.

Minato let her up, and brushed the dirt from her face. "You gained ground. You struck me." He ruffled her hair and whispered in her ear. "You can listen. And you hear what I'm telling you. Your dad couldn't do that. He had to have that lesson beaten into him. Several times."

She cracked a smile at that one, and accepted her sword back from him when he offered it to her. He kissed the top of her forehead like only a grandfather could, wrapping his arms around his granddaughter. She sighed, grateful for the contact. He almost smelt like Dad.

He turned her around by the shoulders and sent her back to bed, so she could catch a few quick hours of sleep. Just enough to make it to the afternoon where she always snuck away to hide in her room and recuperate. Long hours with her Sensei and short hours learning how to fire arrows and throw battle axes. She felt so much more better with her chokuto than with anything else. That was the way she would fight anything. Couple that with the little bit she knew of her chakra coils and the way she could manipulate them, and she thought that she was more than a little bit unstoppable.

She took the long way back to her rooms at the Big House, not only to avoid the harpies that patrolled from dusk until dawn, but wanting to get a glimpse of Apollo pulling the sun through the sky on his chariot. Maybe she would see him on the horizon, just as the sun came up. She smiled to herself. That would be pretty cool.

Annabeth had changed since Lucy had struck her during Capture the Flag. Athena had told her sister where her father lived, and now instead of being a year-round camper like Lucy, who had no home or family to return to, Annabeth went back to her father's house for the rest of the year, coming only to camp for the summer. Lucy felt her lip curl at the thought of Frederick, who had abandoned Annabeth and left her malnourished in her cradle, only to be recognized by her father, who took her in. Now Annabeth had turned her back on their family, and moved in with Dr. and Mrs. Chase. They had offered Lucy a place in their family too.

She refused blatantly. She was an Uzumaki. She had always been an Uzumaki and she wasn't about to change her last name because her dad had somehow gotten stuck in a pine tree. The large tree was just outside the camp's borders, and stood as a reminder of Thalia, even gaining the name Thalia's Pine, in reminder of the daughter of Zeus.

Lucy smiled, and decided to make a side trip. Maybe she would be able to talk to dad. She walked over the ridge, bringing the huge tree into view. Her jaw dropped, and she walked over to it, feeling rage rise up in her. A huge gash had been cut into the tree, oozing a sap-like substance that in some places was bright green, and in others a dark red that moved like congealed blood.

She growled, and touched the gaping wound in the bark of the tree, pulling back with a cry when the sap touched her fingers, her fingertips erupting with blisters. She clutched her hand to her chest, and examined the tree closer, her lip curling at the foul scent that erupted from beneath the bark. It permeated the air and settled in her skin, making her itch. Needles cascaded from the branches, which had begun to turn black as if scorched by the summer heat or a wildfire.

The tree was sick. It was dying. Her heart leapt into her throat and started to pound hard and fast. If the tree was going to grow old and die... Was her dad going to die? Would she be able to talk to him? What about Thalia? What was going to...

She ran. Straight for the Big House, striving to find Chiron or Mr. D., where she could figure out what was going on. And whether or not she was going to loose her father for a second time.

* * *

The poker games had come to an end. Everyone was tense and irritable , settling in their own corners of the egg, painting them strange colours and patterns. Nox was the worst, sitting in a corner with the hood of her cloak pulled low over her eyes, which burned gold. She would occasionally chuckle to herself, and every time that happened, there was a shiver that ran up everyone's spine.

Something was going to happen. She looked up, locking eyes with the blonde-haired, blue eyed shinobi. The crooked lear parted her lips, and the egg turned black, the colour spreading across the inside of the bubble like ink through water.

Like poison through veins.

* * *

It had been a long, tiring day. She had for the first time, refused training when Minato came to pick her up. She had seen her sister for maybe three days before Percy had spirited her away on his stolen quest. She toppled into bed with a groan, the pictures on her wall spinning and whirling, until it obeyed her wishes and solidified into the three foxes she had grown up with. She sighed, and rolled onto her side to stare at them wistfully.

The nine-tailed kit had grown up, and the animal's eyes burnt into her own, it's bright red fur darkening at the tips of its ears and along its spine. She sighed and rolled over, noticing that the father had curled up, growling, and the mother looking at him with sadness in her eyes. With a wave of her hands the pictures disappeared, and she buried her face in her pillow.

The satin felt scratchy. She threw it off her, and curled up with a single pillow.

She sighed, and her walls swirled again, a forested background with Minato standing across from her, smiling knowingly in the way that irritated her so badly. But there were three other students that stood around her, welcoming her as one of her own. A girl with dark hair and dark eyes, purple paint decorating her cheeks, a huge smile on her face, and two boys. The first one had spiky black hair and his eyes closed, goggles covering them, smiling widely. Her painting smiled back at him, and the second boy rolled his eyes. With grey hair and looking incredibly bored, he wandered away from the group and off the wall. Lucy smiled, taking a closer look at the painting. She decided that training like that wouldn't be so bad. With friends. She peered at the corner of the room, as if daring the grey-haired boy to come back. She wondered what his name was. He showed up again in the background of the painting, sitting in the fork of a tree with a book in his hands. She smiled softly. Deciding she liked this painting, she kept it, marking it as one of her favourites.

She lay her head on the pillow and sighed. She was tired of this long, continuous cycle. Training, training, training, beat into her like a mantra. Never stop. Never give up. She buried her face in the pillow and inhaled strongly, blinking away tears. She had forgotten everything. She knew her Sensei looked like her father, but not enough. She didn't remember the sound of his voice, the shape of his smile, or the way his arms fit when he hugged her. With the tree being sick, she couldn't even ask to visit him. There were border patrols she had been forced to participate in... And now Annabeth was gone. One of the only people she trusted in this entire camp of pre-pubescent guys looking to nail one of the Aphrodite girls, had been snatched away by one of the many she detested.

Percy Jackson.

The name felt like acid on her tongue. Ocean eyes and dark hair. Infuriating little smirk. Snatching away her sister like a boat by a rogue wave, leading her to her death in the Sea of Monsters.

She closed her eyes against the images that flooded into her mind. Slowly, she relaxed into a deep, dreamless sleep.

* * *

Reclining in her quarters, a darkened minor goddess contemplated the fate of the world. Since the collapse of the Twin Towers the world had been besieged with chaos, bombings, war, tsunamis that destroyed entire islands. She sighed, and dismissed the thought of assassinating the current president or the Queen. She was looking through her quarters for something to do, when there was a knock on the door. She growled, and got up slowly, making whoever had made her get up wait for the door to open and reveal her bright, shining face.

Hades was waiting for her. He frowned at her, the fake smile decorating her face speaking her irritation upon being interrupted. "Eris. You have a visitor"

"I'm not accepting visitors."

Her surrogate grabbed her arm and said softly, the cold breath of death sliding down the back of her neck, "Than wants to make good, Aella. He has something to offer you."

"There is nothing he could offer me that I would take from him." She bared her teeth, feeling his presence enter the hallway, cold running down her spine. Tallow candles that burned green with Greek fire suddenly guttered and went out, and the hooded God of Death stood in the far corner, wringing bony hands. "He is on the same level as Ares. I have been claimed and I will never be claimed again."

Than stepped forward, reaching toward her and she snarled at him, and he retreated. "Aella..."

"YOU WILL CALL ME ERIS!" She began to glow with godliness, a soft gold glow emanating from her pores. Her hands tightened into fists, as the young goddess fought to keep herself under control. "I AM NOT YOUR PLAYTHING NAMED AELLA! I AM ERIS!"

In a thousand shimmering points she exploded into a pillar of white flame, her form one of a black fox with shimmering blue eyes, all composed of sparks and fire. A tribute to Sinopa. The creature launched at the measly thing that called itself a god. She felt her teeth close around its neck as she started to shake her head violently from side to side. Her mind went blank from that point on.

When she woke in tatters of her chiton, shivering in the Underworld cold, there was a note beneath her hand. In a gothic script that made her turn up her lip in revulsion, there were nine words.

"I will tell you when he cheats death again."

* * *

Lucy broke away from her morning patrol. She was worried, knowing that the tree was steadily getting sicker. Reports were that boughs were beginning to come off. Needles scattered the ground around the tree, in a nearly twenty foot radius. Lucy stepped toward the trunk, and bit her lip, feeling a shiver of fear run up her spine. It was infected. Red fungus-like protrusions erupted from the bark at regular intervals.

She was praying the fleece could solve this. Or her father and her sister were going to die as the tree toppled.

* * *

"Naruto? Naruto?!" Her voice carried and echoed strangely, as if the space was much larger than it actually was. "NARUTO?!" She shivered, and thinking she heard breathing behind her, stretched toward it. She stumbled and fell, down through the blackness like Alice through the rabbit hole. She panicked, which way was down? Which way was up? She let some spit drizzle over her lips, and it evaporated before she could tell which way was up or down. She started screaming. "Naruto! Naruto!" She dissolved into tears. "I'm lost..." She curled up in a ball, not knowing if she was standing on her head, or curled up against her side, or still falling through the blackness. "Dad, I'm lost..." A deep, shuddering breath only made it worse. "D-d-dad-dy... I-I'm lo-ost..."

A set of red eyes stood over her, and something brushed up against the side of her body. She curled up tighter and cried harder, the dark and pure silence making her insane and terrified. A soft growl reached her ears, and she froze, afraid to even draw breath. The eyes circled her, glowing as they got closer and closer. The tears were silent now, as she held her head high, wanting the terrible thing to make it quick. Let her die in the dark, terrified and alone.

Something soft brushed against her cheeks, as if trying to wipe her tears away. She grabbed at it, and was startled by the feeling of the silky fur. There was a soft grunt, and something lay down behind her. She knew which way was up. She was laying on her right side. She sat up, and pressed back against the mound of soft fur, her hands shaking.

She could almost hear the thing rolling its eyes. "**You play the bad girl image really well for someone who's afraid of the dark.**"

She sighed, and her hands found the thick scruff of fur on the back of his neck. She wound her fingers tightly into the fur and buried her face close to them.

The fox growled, "**Kami, Thalia - you're ripping my fur out!**"

She didn't care, relieved by the fact she wasn't alone anymore. She cried again, this time with relief, the soft orange fur tickling her cheeks. "Thank you... Thank you..."

He grumbled and laid a couple of huge fluffy tails over her as she started to shiver in the dark and with her loss of water. She jumped at the strange action from the supposed demon, one that was almost... Kindness? Understanding?

"**Calm down, kit. I'm not going to tear you to pieces just yet.**" Her hands found the tips of the fox's ears and stroked them, the especially soft fur warm to the touch, and sliding like satin between her fingers. The Kyuubi no Kitsune lifted his neck, and she withdrew her fingers before a warning growl rose from deep in his chest, vibrating against her ribs. She quickly returned to stroking the soft fur on his ears and the top of his head, the red eyes that had scared her so badly going half-lidded with relaxation.

Thalia bit her lip and smiled softly. 'Like a cat,' she thought to herself, 'He just wants some attention.'

The weight and warmth of his tails was a comfort, and she curled up against him smiling, laying her head carefully on his back, still petting the fox.

"**You don't tell anybody about this. Got it, kit? I need to keep up the image**."

She acknowledged him sleepily, her hands slowing. "Don't... tell... dark..."

His eyes scanned through the dark before he put his head down on his paws. "**Fine.**" She was snoring, her fingers wound tightly into his scruff. Her grip was a little tight, but he ignored it, and closed his eyes. He grumbled and sat up slowly, before gently licking away the tracks tears had left on her face. "**Dumb little kit.**" He snorted, laying back down, "**Afraid of the dark...**"

* * *

Chiron was being cruel. He had pitted every camper against their bitterest enemy, and as such, several female demigods were covered in scratches, the Aphrodite girls held back by their brothers and sisters. Blood on their teeth and drying under their nails.

Lucy looked around nervously, and saw Ethan sitting a little apart from the rest of the group, yawning into his hand. She frowned, knowing that both of them were exhausted. She from spending long hours with her sensei, he probably from a border patrol that had woken him early in the morning.

She was nervous. Chiron knew they didn't get along. She felt her fingers fly through the one ninjutsu she had seen him use before. Fireball. She felt a tingle run from the soles of her feet to the top of her head, but nothing happened. She tried again, and still, nothing. She sighed, beginning to wish she had gone to her training session last night. Maybe then, she would have something she could use against him other than her skill in using her blade. She knew she was superior in that, but...

Lucy sighed and looked away, running her fingers through her short hair. There was nothing to be gained from worrying, was there? She walked up, joining the line to ask Chiron for a fight. Her hands were shaking as the line grew shorter and shorter ahead of her, and when there was only three people ahead of her, a soft, out of place noise made her turn her head to one side. A pair of blue eyes poked out from behind a tree, and nodded her forward. She smiled softly and steeled herself, before the strange noise caught her attention again. He waved her into the trees and she slipped away quietly, disappearing with her teacher, who she found perched high in a tree.

As she opened her mouth to say hello, her clapped his hand over it, and pointed down to the forest below. Something made the undergrowth stir, back and forth in slow, undulating waves. She caught a glimpse of forked tongue and dark scales, her eyes widening in fear.

A basilisk...

People started screaming in the arena, and the roars of the snake were echoing around in her head, making her squeeze her eyes shut with pain as the screeches vibrated against her eardrums. She covered her ears, and screamed, her grandfather holding her tight and pressing her back against the tree so she was closer to the trunk as the entire forest started to shake.

There were cries for mirrors and screams for aid. She started crying, and tried to hide, feeling the coward build up in her until she was ready to bolt. Something violently shook the tree below them, and both teacher and student fell, Minato using the Flying Thunder God three pronged kunai to fly back up into the tree, but Lucy toppling until she landed amongst scales and feathers, screaming. A jet of flame burst from the maw of the serpent, burning a swath of forest for it to make a quick getaway. Chiron came galloping after the thing, his face contorted into a snarl, bow and arrow at the ready.

Lucy got to feet, able to maintain her balance on the undulating back of the basilisk, and unsheathed her chokuto, blinding herself as the sun glinted off the polished metal of the...

Polished.

Reflective.

She screamed as a stray arrow hit her in the shoulder, not fired by Chiron, she could tell by the feathers fletched in the base of the thing, which she broke off, leaving the arrowhead embedded beneath her skin. She kept going, the bit of metal worming it's way deeper and deeper into her skin, severing nerves near her collarbone that made her right arm go dead. She ran forward and closed her eyes against the glance of the monster, slamming her chokuto over its nose, reflecting the yellow gaze back into its eyes. It wasn't a perfect reflection, and the snake began to undulate and curl in on itself in pain as it began to turn it stone. Lucy was captured in its coils, furiously trying to worm out of them. Something sliced her open from right shoulder to elbow. She ignored it, only seeing the blood bead in her shirt, not feeling it. She buried her blade in the body of the snake and pushed away, panting.

As the snake turned to cold, emotionless stone, heat began to pulse along her arm in the rhythm of her heartbeat, giving her a massive migraine and sending her into convulsions. She looked at the wound on her arm again, and it had sealed itself shut with a puffy, pus-filled infection. Her eyes drooped, and the last thing she saw before the venom pulled her into the embrace of darkness was Minato staring down at her in horror from the trees, and Chiron looming over her, dark eyes worried in his pale face.

* * *

The infirmary was full of petrified kids. Not scared out of their wits, but frozen, eyes darting around madly. Eris wasn't the only godly figure there. Dionysus was busy sitting next to one of his two sons, talking to him softly. Aphrodite strode around about six of her children, dithering and making everyone tense. Eris had waited until Ares had left, not wanting his eyes on her body. Her lip curled. or her daughter.

Lucy was at the far end of a row of cots, fighting for every breath. An attendant was dabbing at her face and neck with a cool cloth, his eyes concerned. As Eris approached, he handed her the bowl of water and quickly retreated, eyes down.

Lucy responded well to her mother's touch, her ice-blue eyes opening for a second before she closed them again, turning away from Eris. "Don't..."

Looking around, Eris gently ran her fingers through Lucy's short hair, kissing her cheek. "Don't do what, kit? Can you say?"

Tears leaked out of Lucy's eyes, and her words tugged Eris' heartstrings so hard they snapped. "Don't... Leave..." Lucy took a deep breath, and looked at her mother, ice-blue locking with honey-amber. "Not again."

Eris licked her lips, and gathered her daughter close as Lucy cried, hiding her face in her mother's dark hair. Another attendant cautiously came up, and changed the dressing on Lucy's arm, Eris noticed thankfully that the pus was no longer tainted bright green by venom, but beginning to turn clear.

Lucy eased into sleep, Eris watching as her only daughter fell asleep in her arms. She smiled softly, and tenderly kissed each eyelid of her baby, tucking her back into her cot. She sighed, and carefully ran her fingers over the whisker marks that were a testament from her father, then stood, and took her leave quietly, not wanting to disrupt anyone while they slept.

Eris turned her gaze back to the infirmary. She would visit again at suppertime. Her little girl needed her now.

She bit her lip. Lucy had needed her for the past five years...

* * *

There were several of them gathered around a long, dark table when Hades arrived. He sighed, and tried to remain in the shadows, really not wanting to bicker with these people. He had to go to the council. He had initiated it for one reason.

You make the grave you lay in.

He stepped forward, pinching his nose as his robes formed from the faces of the damned pooled on the ground. There was a soft growl, from a pale man who stood at nearly seven feet tall with bright yellow eyes. "Hades. You're late."

"Step down, Lucifer." The Greek god's lips twitched ever so slightly. "I wouldn't have had their attention until now anyway."

Lucifer flattened the lapels of his Italian suit, eyes narrowing. "Truly, then? This is how you are going to represent yourself at this council? You want to get a point across and you show up late?" He smiled, but it was a twisted, thin-lipped smirk. "Is this perhaps why the Underworld is overcrowding? Your lack of management?"

The table went totally, deathly silent. Hades growled softly, as he stared down the fallen angel, his comrade and co-worker. Both sets of eyes narrowed, glinting harshly. Eventually, Hades took one step back and sat at the head of the table, head held high.

Lucifer rolled his eyes and sat about halfway down the table, between Beelzebub and Mephistophiles. Conversation started up at the table again, mostly bickering. There were a few that were strangely quiet, Thanatos among them, some of the minor half-forgotten demons there as well. Most sitting around the table were tall, domineering men with terrible, frightening eyes that betrayed their true intentions and who they truly were. But sitting at the foot of the table, directly across the table from Hades, was nothing that even closely resembled a man, looking more like a beast of the sort that made every culture fear for their lives in a way they never should. It's face was twisted disgustingly, a mane of silver-blonde hair cascading over angry red eyes, thin lips and a pointed chin. Hades frowned, going eye to eye with the deity he had only encountered once or twice in the span of three thousand years.

Lucifer stood up, again straightening the lapels of his suit. Anubis barked for everyone's attention, and conversation slowly died, the brothers aware of the power the fallen angel had over them. "Brothers... and sister..." He acknowledged a woman that sat with her fingers steepled over her nose, her bright green eyes nearly glowing in the half dark that surrounded the pavilion.

Hades stared at her curiously, and frowned. She was brand new. Probably not going to last too long. Her eyes darted to him and she smirked softly. Hades had to fight back the urge to quail in his throne. Okay. Maybe she'd be around for a while.

Lucifer continued. "There has been a conflict of interests in the way our realms are connected."

Satan and Merikh exchanged coins, Merikh with a soft smirk. Hades put his head in his hands with a small groan. He didn't have to attend these annual meetings unless explicitly invited. He loved being one of the "old men" on the council. But he had initiated the meeting. Make the grave you lay in.

"Quetzalcoatl! Leave Bran alone!" Lucifer was displeased. It showed in his eyes as the tension in the air grew. Things were about to get bad.

Their new sister stood up and said softly, but in a voice that was eerie, and carried as a stage whisper. "I nominate brother Hades to speak, sir." She sat down again, and steepled her fingers, her eyes nervous, but hiding it with the precision that comes from hiding and keeping secrets.

Hades stood and put his hands down on the table, leaning over it. "What Lucifer is trying to put politely is that I am extremely dissatisfied with the way our worlds are connected. It seems to be a one-way portal system. I am TIRED of caring for other people's charges. The Underworld is crowded and cramping quickly." His eyes narrowed at the red-skinned, horned creature that was his brother. "So, Satan. WHy am I caring for the sinners that should be strung up in one of the seven circles of Hell? Why must I categorize and care for them?!"

Hades turned to his Roman twin, Pluto. and snarled. "Why are there gladiators and emperors sauntering around in Elysium?"

Pluto returned the aggression, grabbing a staff of onyx from behind him and laying it across his lap. Lucifer growled menacingly, reminding the Roman of his station, before Pluto resettled himself in his chair.

Hades wasn't done, turning to the beast of a man with the man of silver hair. "And you! Why in Lucifer's name am I required to deal with hundreds of shinobi and dozens of half-dead Akatsuki that lost their lives in a war started by YOUR people?!"

The beast rose to the bait, standing aggressively in a challenge, towering over his Greek counterpart. Hades was unfazed, and bared his teeth, opening the doors to his godliness, as he grew to about twenty five feet tall, snarling.

Lucifer was not amused. The back of his suit stood about three inches from his skin as his feathers ruffled. "Shinigami! His point is valid! SIT DOWN!"

Hades sat as the beast retreated to his seat. He turned to Lucifer. "Make the portals run both ways. That is all I ask for. It isn't fair that Hell has seven nearly empty circles where the Underworld has five that are overflowing. Make. The. Portals. Run. Both. Ways."

The woman spoke up again. "I respect you, Lord Hades, but may I propose something slightly different?" He blinked and gestured her to continue, his green eyes narrowed in interest. She took a deep breath and said softly. "There is no portal that connects my realm to any others. And there is a reason for that." She turned to him. "I propose that all portals currently known of should be closed. And that Lord Lucifer should grant you permission to expand out into the surrounding land. There is thousands of miles around the Underworld that are desolate gravel fields." Lucifer snarled at her and she didn't quail, but she got very quiet very quickly.

"You think that I haven't thought of that? His hold on those land frays the further he builds outward. Unknown entities could intrude among the souls. Entities that are evil down to their skin and bones. Such pure evil you could never imagine..."

She was making strange noises. She leaned back in her chair, one hand over her mouth, the other on her belly, which was shaking. Hades' eyes widened. She was laughing. "F-fine... Make the por-rtals run both ways." She stopped to let her laughter ring through the Underworld, a laugh that carried to the Fields of Punishment and made them go silent in fear. She shrugged, and turned a maniac gaze back to Lucifer. "But any realm that touches mine will wither and die from what resides inside."

Lucifer bared his teeth, which were beginning to turn crooked and pointed. "And what would be so terrifying?"

Before any of the gods could catch their breath, she had launched herself over the table faster than their eyes could follow and was crouched in Lucifer's lap, whispering in his ear. It carried, just like her voice had before. "Secrets, darling. Ones that would give you nightmares."

Hades reacted and said softly. "Do as she says Lucifer." He would take an ally where he would get one on this fucking council. Not even his counterpart was on his side.

Lucifer snarled, but she clapped a hand over his mouth, and started to nuzzle at his neck. The pale deity went paler. She whispered. "Please?" It was such a soft, pleading, promising please that he nodded softly, and the council came to an abrupt end, table, chairs and brethren vanishing into the dark, desolate land that was the Underworld.

Hades put his head in his hands and groaned. Running Hell via committee was a terrible idea.

* * *

Lucy was sitting up in the infirmary as someone tugged on her arm, putting stitches in it for what felt like the third time that morning. She snarled at them angrily, and she was pricked deeply, the steel diving into her arm like a bucket into a dried out well. She rolled her eyes and pushed the Apollo boy away from her. "You know what? I'll do this on my own!"

He touched her shoulder. She slapped him away. He whispered gently, very soft-spoken. "Lucy... If you'd just let me..."

She snarled. "Leave it alone!"

He retreated, pulling the needle from her arm. Lucy clutched at Cuddles with her left arm, and Minato appeared in the window.

Lucy turned to her grandfather and bit her lip. "Was I too hard on him? I'm just tired of being poked." Minato opened his mouth to say something, but was cut off by the sound of a horn that called down from by the ridge that was decorated with Thalia's pine.

Lucy stood up, still holding her fox in her arms. There was a call that followed the blowing of the horn. "THE FLEECE! THE FLEECE IS HERE!"

Lucy bolted from the infirmary, stumbling in her eagerness. They were going to fix the tree. They were going to fix the tree... Her arm tore open, the stitches ripping. She didn't care. Daddy was going to be okay... They were going to save the tree. She started to cry, stumbling again. Dirt and grass ended up in her arm, and she started to bleed profusely. It was dead. She didn't feel anything, holding Cuddles close to her chest.

Her Dad was going to be okay...


	6. Chapter 6

**Twice in one day?! What is this madness?! Well, I'll tell you one thing. You probably won't be getting those 20,000 word chapters anymore. At least not that often. My co-author and I have gotten back to work on this like champions and you'll probably see more upploads. At least for the time being. I will warn you though that this chapter is not something I was entirely pleased with. It was something we had started like three months ago but never finished. So nothing was fresh and was kind of awkward. Next chapter will be better. **

* * *

When one is trapped in a place for a multitude of years such as a prison, a basement, or a tree as Naruto was, they would probably expect their return to the waking world to be one of splendor and much celebration. Naruto was no different. He knew when the tree was poisoned and he knew that it was dying. He could sense it. To a certain extent he knew that Kurama and Thalia could sense it also. But, if he could sense when it was dying he could sense when it was thriving. And it was. It went from sickly looking bark and withered leaves to the exact opposite in a matter of hours. It was quite remarkable.

But then something even more amazing happened. The blond could feel the energy, whatever it was, wrapping around his body; or mind as it were. It was...strange to say the least. There was a pressure that kept building inside of him. It wasn't painful but it was slightly uncomfortable. It was like all his energies and chakra were building up in the most unusual way inside his body. It kept building and building until...

POP.

There was a flash of light and pain before the blond opened his eyes. He no longer saw the pale white of the eggshell he had been trapped in for the past five or six years. Instead his cerulean orbs found themselves taking in a green and lush landscape that was dotted by the most unusual things. Off in the distance he could see an assortment of cabins arranged in a perfect U-shape. Next to that there seemed to be a sort of recreational area complete with basketball and tennis courts. But thats where the modern stuff ended. To the far right of him beside the...Strawberry fields? Yes, beside the strawberry fields there was an old greek style race track. As far as he could tell it was meant for chariots. To the left of that, in between the track and the cabins there was an amphitheatre/arena. It was constructed in such a way that the blond couldn't tell if it was meant for plays or bloody duels.

On the left of the cabins, closer to the lake, were some stables for horse. Naruto's blue eyes narrowed and seemed to zoom in on the animals before widening. Winged horses. Okay, then. The other sights were easy to pick out. There was an outdoor eating area, a rock climbing wall with lava, a big house which he could tell held some importance, and many other various areas.

Another pop drew the blonde's attention away from the camp back towards the tree. Thalia had just gone through the same ordeal he had. He smirked slightly and helped her up.

"It's a nice change of scenery isn't it, Sparks?"

Thalia glared up at the blond man. She didn't exactly like the nickname but she also knew he wasn't going to stop calling her that and she couldn't make him. Especially now seeing as she couldn't even hold her own weight up. As she got a full scope of the land a smile broke out across her face and she nodded, "Yeah, it IS a nice change of scenery. Its nice to be out of the tree. To feel the wind on my face."

Naruto nodded in agreement before picking up the black haired girl, "So I wonder what got us out? Lucy mentioned the Golden Fleece last time she talked to me."

"You mean that Golden Fleece?"

Naruto followed Thalia's pointing arm to a...golden fleece that was hanging off one of the lower branches on the pine tree. He gave an approving nod, "Hmph. No wonder it brought us out. I can feel the energy coming off of it." They stood there admiring the fleece and its surroundings before both of them were startled by two simultaneous growls. Naruto jumped, startled, before frowning and looking down towards his midsection. That was their stomachs.

Thalia was the first to eloquently explain their predicament, "I'm hungry."

"Yep."

"It seems to be around breakfast. I can see kids heading for the place with all the tables."

Naruto noticed for the first time that they had exited the tree in the morning. And he was hungry. He sent chakra to the seal on his palm and a tri-pronged kunai appeared in it. He smirked and looked down at the girl in his arms, "Well, Lucy is around somewhere. I can sense her chakra and its stable so I know she is safe. And I can also sense Annabeth down there too but thats because I have a seal on her. Do you want to surprise them or walk?"

Thalia raised an eyebrow, "Walking will take too long. I need food now." Naruto actually laughed at that as he waited for all of the kids to gather at the Dining Pavillion for breakfast. He knew she would say that.

When all of the kids had gathered sufficiently the blond did a few calculations before aiming and chucking the kunai. He vaguely realized that his shirt was missing before he felt the all too familiar tug and the duo disappeared in an orange flash.

They reappeared in the same manner in front of everyone. Everything stopped and neither the dark haired teenager nor the fair haired grown man could hold back the grin that split their faces.

"The looks on your faces..." Thalia started with a laugh.

"Are...Priceless." Naruto finished. His only regret? Not having a camera.

* * *

Some people screamed, but most just gawked. Annabeth had frozen with her head titled back to get the last of her orange juice, which had sloshed all over her face. With pulp running off her chin and slowly collecting in her lap, she was a gawker. He was back... He had no shirt - but her Dad was back...

There was a soft noise that made her bare her teeth, as one of the Aphrodite girls, Celene, was making doe-eyes at him and cooing, eyes running up and down over her dad's body. The gawkers all turned to either Lucy, who had the look on her face of viewing the dead, and had to rapidly put her head between her knees so she didn't pass out, but most were on Annabeth as her bared teeth turned into a noise of malcontent, and then a challenge.

"Get your eyes of him, Celene."

The beautiful, blonde-haired made-up girl turned to her and her perfect face was contorted in a snarl. "Make me."

Celene turned back to Naruto, fluttering her eyelashes. Annabeth snarled, and reached for the knife beside her plate. Before she could do anything to that pretty little face, something slimy that stuck to her skin hit Celene on the side of her face. She screamed and ripped it off her, throwing a piece of orange to the ground.

Lucy howled with laughter, clutching at her belly, rocking back and forth at her table. Celene stood and stormed over, makeup ruined by orange juice and shoved Lucy's laughing face into a bowl of oatmeal, leaving her sputtering.

Annabeth grabbed a greasy sausage and chucked it at the back of Celene's head. She ducked just in time and it hit a Hephaestus camper in the face. He retaliated and hit Annabeth with strawberries that exploded with juice when they hit her skin. Lucy and Celene were wrestling between two tables, and quickly, there was chaos in the dining pavilion, and it was every table for themselves in a huge food fight, Chiron trying desperately to get them to cut it out while Mr. D. just sipped a Diet Coke and watched with amusement.

Annabeth was crouched behind a table that had been overturned in the chaos with her brothers and sisters, all of them with a split pomegranate in their hands. As one, the all stood and fired their fruit-grenades at the Ares table, splattering them satisfyingly. They were immediately hit with a torrent of sticky pancakes, and they dove for cover once more.

Thalia crawled up beside her and squeezed her arm. "Chiron is looking for you. Come this way." She had a cereal bowl on her head for protection, which made Annabeth grin widely. She followed Thalia out into no-man's land, crawling so make themselves less of a target. Lucy was sitting in the middle of it all, making everyone's fruit fly in funny directions, as if gravity had been reversed, or the wind was blowing really hard. Chunks of watermelon kept hitting Mr. D on the chin, making Lucy smile wildly, cuing Annabeth in to the fact that it was no accident.

Thalia pushed her into moving, as they crawled for a gap between tables that had been overturned early in the fight. Thalia was bringing up the rear, Annabeth and Lucy before her. Lucy was hit by the remnants of a pomegranate which struck her in the side, making her look like she had been hit by a bullet, and was bleeding everywhere. She collapsed, laughing, her ice blue eyes shining. She wailed, and pushed Annabeth forward. "Go... Go on without me..."

Thalia rolled her eyes. "Oh, come on Lucy. You're fine."

Lucy rolled onto her back, and her eyes closed. "I'll be... Nothing but a burden..."

Annabeth tugged on her arm. "Come on..."

Lucy rolled onto her hands and knees again and rapidly crawled through the gap between the tables, where Chiron and Naruto were waiting.

Annabeth sat very still, as did Lucy, as if they were in the presence of a deer, one that they didn't want to startle away. Lucy looked away, tears sliding down her cheeks. Annabeth felt her pain, and reached to take her hand. She had been re-acquainted with her blood-father, and he had filled the gap that Naruto had left a little bit. Annabeth had Athena, who would drop in quite often to spend time with her children. She had filled the whole. She felt relief on seeing him, but she saw so much else run through her sisters eyes and body posture.

Betrayal. Anger. Relief. Joy. Sadness.

Lucy whimpered and jumped up, pushing Thalia and Annabeth away from her, and ran to her father, burying her face in his chest and wrapping her arms around him. As the food fight was still going on, good and loud, she cried without fear.

Annabeth helped Thalia up, and they moved forward together, with Annabeth basically dragging Thalia to Naruto, and joining them , wrapping her arms around them, as the family joined together truly for the first time in more than five years.

Chiron said softly, trying not to disturb the tender moment. "There is another breakfast waiting at the Big House. We need to discuss lodgings." Chiron looked troubled, Annabeth noted, a crease appearing between his eyebrows. "Amongst other things."

Annabeth nodded, helping Thalia over to Chiron so she could climb up onto his back. Annabeth followed, with her head turned back to watch her sister as she stumbled up the hill to the Big House with all the grace of a six year old who had just scraped her knee.

* * *

The air above the group eating around the ping pong table was charged with energy and a powerful silence. Chiron and the girls had just given the two newcomers the basic rundown of the past five years over a breakfast of eggs, bacon, and fruit. To say that the blond man and the black haired daughter of Zeus were unhappy would be an understatement.

Naruto was channeling his inner Tsunade as he folded his hands over his mouth and leaned forward onto his elbows. His eyes were narrowed in thought. He had sensed the negative emotion brewing in Luke from the brief time he knew him. He had recognized the problem and believed he could reverse the damage before it could get worse. Of course that was before he was sealed in a tree. Now it seemed as if the boy was beyond help. No. He couldn't think like that. He wouldn't lose someone else to that lonely, dark, path. He would die first.

Naruto allowed a sigh to escape his lips as he resigned himself to all the work he would have to accomplish, "It seems I have my hands full. Between that prophecy and Luke. No rest for the wicked I guess."

The other inhabitants of the room seemed confused and Chiron chose to voice his thoughts, "What do you mean Mr. Uzumaki? What do you plan to do about either of those things? Somethings cannot be helped. Everything must given into Fate." The centaur expected many responses from the blue eyed man but laughter was not one of them, What is funny about this situation?"

Naruto calmed his laughter and his eyes became serious, "I had a friend, once, who said almost those exact words to me. He said that I was fated to lose to him in battle. And then we fought."

Chiron seemed intrigued by his story as were the three girls in the room, "And what was the outcome."

The blond man chuckled again and shook his head slightly as he reminisced, "He kicked the snot out of me. He was better in everyway but one."

"Doesn't that prove my point?"

"Absolutely not." Naruto replied casually, "You see, he was better than me in everyway except the fact that he seemingly accepted his 'Fate'. I didn't. Each time he knocked me down I got back up stronger. There is one thing you should know about Fate. It only has power when people resign themselves to it."

Chiron folded his arms and seemed to be thinking before asking, "What makes you say that?" Part of him was starting to believe the man but the other half was still skeptical.

Naruto waved his hands dismissively, "Simple physics really. When two object collide something has to give eventually. I don't believe in giving up so that means that Fate will have to give in to me. I will never be resigned to anything. And I won't let anyone suffer from these so called 'bonds of Fate'. All Luke needs is an asskicking and a stern talking to. It worked with Neji."

"Who's Neji?"

Naruto smirked and stood up seemingly to leave the house, "The man who said I was fated to lose to him. I laid him out with an uppercut so awesome I'm sure his unborn relatives felt it."

This time Annabeth, who had stayed mostly silent through this whole exchange seemed to speak up, "And where do you think you're going? You haven't spent any time with Lucy or me. I haven't seen you for over five years. Plus you still don't have a shirt on!"

Her little outburst just made him chuckle, "Well, to answer your first question: I'm going to explore the camp. I might find that Percy kid. Or Clarisse, she seems interesting. Or one of those Satyr guys. I don't know. We have plenty of time to catch up anyway." He looked around and grabbed one of the camp shirts that seemed like it would fit and slid it over his head. "Orange, huh. I like this camp already." With that said the blond disappeared in a swirl of leaves much to the amazement of the centaur in the room.

Said centaur turned to the three girls, "I...have a feeling that things are going to get a lot more interesting around here."

Thalia and Annabeth responded a simultaneous, "You have NO idea..."

Lucy was still focused on the spot where her father disappeared, "Oh. He is so gonna teach me that one."

* * *

The smell of the hay was a comfort. The pegasus barn was usually quiet, with very few people walking around in it. An occasional attendant, refilling water pails or feed buckets, but other than that, nothing bothered him. Except for when the lessons rolled through, loud, obnoxious, not caring about how the pegasi needed the quiet or they riled up. It annoyed him to no end.

Here came a group now, of simpering idiots who had a home to return too, just at Camp Half-Blood for a summer camp, not as a sanctuary from the outside world. He could hear Silena, talking softly, urging the group to be quiet, as she introduced those old enough to the more riled up horses.

Ethan walked out of the stall that housed the grooming supplies and the feed, joining the back of the group, who watched as Silena approached the pegasi they were to meet today. He smirked softly. King was a huge, golden stallion, and the father of many a pegasi in the barn. He wasn't high-strung like some of the others were, but he was very territorial, and Ethan had noticed many had petted the noses of the docile mares further toward the front of the barn.

He watched with narrowed eyes as one kid approached, hand outstretched timidly, headed for King's blind spot on the front of his nose, right between his eyes. "You don't want to be doing that." He spoke up before the kid could get her fingers chomped off.

Someone laughed, their noise of hilarity filled with scorn, rising and falling like the sounds of waves. "Why not? King will behave - won't you big boy?"

The golden pegasi nodded up and down, his halter clinking against the cross-ties. Stupid Percy. If he could make the giant palomino behave, he could certainly make him misbehave.

The girl gently petted King's forelock, and the pegasi snorted, blowing gently into her hair. She giggled. An Aphrodite-giggle. Ethan made a small sound of exasperation and paid dull attention to Silena, who was talking quietly, smiling softly. She was pretty, he mused to himself. There was a mad rush around him, as people rushed to stand by the front of the stall of the horse Silena had assigned them. She touched his shoulder and he frowned up at her. "Yes?"

"Could you take out Egon for me?"

He nodded, and wandered down the rows of stalls, stopping just before the huge roan pegasi who reared and plunged, the wood creaking in protest as the cross-ties were pulled taunt. Without fear, he jumped into the stall and pulled the horse down, whispering to it softly, rubbing the side of its neck. He heard appreciative whispers pass around him, and turned slightly to see Annabeth holding the halter of a snow-white mare, talking to her sister Lucy, who lead a smoke-grey stallion.

Annabeth smiled and raised her hand to wave. "Hey, Ethan." She was elbowed hard in the kidneys by Lucy who hissed at her under her breath. The sisters moved on, letting him lead Egon out of the stall, still talking to him softly, the stallion's ears swivelling to pick up on all the sounds coming from the sounds of two dozen throats and the whinnies of pegasi as the were let free to stretch and warm up before their flight.

Egon stood on the edges of the group, his ears flattened against his head. Silena was trying to regain control, yelling for everyone to mount up, whistling to get the pegasi to lower their right wing for a leg up. Ethan hopped up, frowning at the dirt in Egon's coat. Whoever had been on the grooming shift that morning had done a terrible job.

"Itchy, boy?" Ethan scratched just behind Egon's ears. The stallion whinnied, tossing his head up and down in an affirmative. Ethan kept scratching, listening to Silena explain about the importance of keeping their horses under control.

Egon reared up a little in agitation, wanting to be up in the air. Ethan forced him back down, swatting his neck in a reprimand. The roan pegasi calmed for a moment, staring up at the sky. Silena continued to talk, explaining the specifics, when Egon stirred, prancing sideways slightly, flicking his tail.

Ethan rubbed his flank, and tried to calm him, when Egon whinnied loudly, bucking Ethan over his head and throwing him into the mud before the horse went wild, snorting, and charging the boy that lay soaked. The thing Ethan saw before hooves struck him in his side, and pain made the world go black, was Percy smirking atop his pegasi, and everyone staring, doing nothing to help him.

But after all, it wouldn't be summer camp without that one kid nobody likes, but everybody picks on.

* * *

The ceiling had been boring, when he first came to camp. So he decorated it. With black and red Sharpie, in symbols of the language he had taught himself. He sighed deeply, then growled as his still tender ribs gave a sharp twinge in retort. Supposedly a small glass of nectar would fix everything. Apparently, this was not so. He flexed his fingers, then looked around the run-down wooden cabin, as nearly five dozen unclaimed or minor-demigod children snored in their sleep. He sighed, and started to plot against Percy - how he could get back at him. He knew, deep down in his soul, that Percy had been the one to make Egon go crazy. Of course he would.

It wouldn't be summer camp without that one kid everyone loves to look up to, even when he does stupid shit that makes others miserable. Ethan folded his hands behind his head, smirking up at the ceiling. What to do... What to do...

He got a little rush from getting even. It always made him feel better - relaxed - at ease with himself - knowing he had practised in the old 'eye for an eye' art.

Revenge. Sweet, sweet revenge.

It took him only fifteen minutes to get his plan together - then five more to get out of the cabin and get the stuff he needed. Black paint - a translated sentence - and a thick paintbrush with a tapered edge. He wanted to writing to be crisp and authentic-looking. Sticking to the shadows like they were his oldest friends, he avoided harpies that flew overhead, searching for a camper to sink their sharp teeth into.

He tripped suddenly, on something that stuck out from the deepest part of the shadow, and knocked his head on a rock that protruded from the dirt. He growled, but didn't cry out, rounding on whatever had tripped him. He found nothing but smooth ground, and a smear of his blood on a flat rock. He got up and went again, dipping the brush into black paint, smiling, and quickly scrawled two sentences across the smooth, sandy outer walls of the poseidon cabin.

Looking his handy-work up and down, he gave a small smirk, knowing that the statement of the obvious and the small, small threat would be enough - if Percy ever managed to find someone who could read it. He took a few steps backward, into a shaft of starlight that cascaded down from the heavens. "Worth every penny." He thought to himself, "Even if I do get caught."

He rushed back to the cabin, paint can clunking against his leg. A harpy screamed closeby, putting him on edge. The night had shifted. The darkness was no longer his friend, as if something hostile lurked in every shadow, watching him. Ethan bit down on his lip as he thought of Pennywise the Clown. His skin prickled, feeling unseen eyes bore into the small of his back. He should have never read it.

Paranoia was dangerous. He looked over his shoulder, watching for something that wasn't even there, when he walked headlong into something hard. He panicked as arms closed around him. The things had eyes. Bright red eyes and shiny, sharp teeth.

Suddenly, the red eyes and sharp teeth were gone. Ethan felt a hand, a human hand, latch down on his shoulder before the darkened landscape around him blurred into two walls of color and elongated objects. The sudden motion slammed to a stop and the black haired boy's insides turned violently as he doubled over. A sick wretch filled the air as the kid relieved himself of his dinner.

As he recovered from his sudden motion sickness a laugh filled the air that belonged suave baritone voice. He squinted his onyx eyes and glared up at the man, "Who the hell are you?" The question came out a little more hostile than he intended. Or maybe not.

The blond haired and whiskered cheeked man raised an eyebrow, "The guy who just saved you from getting your face chewed off by a bird woman thing." The kid had chakra, a good amount of it from what he could sense. The question was how? Naruto reached down and brought the kid up, steadying his feet, "Don't worry, the whole puking thing happens to most the first time they body flicker. What's your name kid?"

"Ethan." The boy snarled, onyx eyes blazing. He was embarrassed, ashamed, and angry at himself. When the blonde man arched an eyebrow and encouraged him for more, he grew tight lipped. He himself did not know for sure. He was supposed to be Namikaze. But his sensei had told him different. It wasn't by accident that he stumbled upon the jutsu he could control, and the other he had recently learned the signals for. Crossing his arms over his chest, Ethan raised an eyebrow. "I gave you my name. Now you give me yours."

Naruto's eyes narrowed a bit but couldn't help but smile a bit. He already knew who this boy was. He didn't know how it was possible but his chakra felt almost exactly the same as Sasuke's had when they were kids. The blond sat down next to the pine tree that he had moved them to and looked out over the camp before patting the space next to him, "The name is Naruto, kid. Now sit down. We have some things to talk about."

He could sense the distrust coming from Ethan but the small disarming smile he had on managed to convince the boy to stay and talk. A peaceful silence fell over the two as they sat before something the blond had said finally registered completely within Ethan's mind, "Wait, you said you name was Naruto? My sensei told me about you." The boy's eyes were wide with surprise, awe, and a little tinge of fear.

Naruto eyed him seriously, "I'm sure he has. Look, kid. I'll give it to you straight. I knew your sensei, your dad, or whatever you choose to call him. We were best friends, rivals, and enemies." His blue eyes narrowed as memories from his past raced through his mind. The good and the bad.

Ethan looked down at the grass for a moment, partly in shame, partly in sadness. He wasn't ignorant of his father's actions nor of the type of life he lived. Sasuke had told him an awful lot and whatever he failed to mention, his mother filled in the few times she had visited him in dreams. He looked up the blond cautiously, careful with his words, "Do...do you hate him?"

Naruto looked up towards the stars and the moon, wondering again if his old friends were looking down on him or at least thinking about him. The thought filled him with a strong and strange sense of sadness. Once he had composed himself, he replied, "I...don't hate him. Not anymore at least. I considered him to be my brother, Ethan. No matter how far into the darkness he fell, I was always there trying to pull him out, because you never give up on your family. But then he...he took someone who was very precious away from me. And I don't think I can ever forgive him for that."

Ethan took a moment to digest that information as he played with the cool grass he was sitting on. The man he was sitting next to him had killed his father. Did it have to happen that way? Did his dad deserve what he had gotten? His voice started speaking before he could check what he was saying, "Do you think that...that if he hadn't killed her, you might have been able to save him? Eventually?"

"I ask myself that question often, Ethan," Naruto replied softly as he continued to stare up at the stars, "And the truth is, I don't know. I like to tell myself Fate has no control over us. But sometimes I wonder if Sasuke couldn't have helped what happened to him. Maybe he truly was an unfortunate victim of destiny, forced upon a road of darkness and pain." He shifted uncomfortably as that train of thought urged him to continue, "I sometimes think that things were always meant to happen like they did. During our lives Sasuke and I were always told that we were going to fight. And either one or both of us were going to die." Naruto's voice was choked with sadness and frustration as he explained his theory.

Ethan's face was the epitome of confusion, "Then why do you seem so sad? You won. You killed him. If that was the way it was meant to be then why are you still sad about it?" He couldn't understand why he was unhappy with his lot. He was still alive wasn't he?

Naruto scoffed at the question. It something that only someone young and naive would ask. His gaze shifted to Ethan slowly, "I'm still sad about it because it's unfair. Sasuke should have never have had to deal with what he did. I should have never had to kill him. And Hinata shouldn't have had to die because of something as stupid as Fate. The world is cruel, Ethan. Humans are angry and desperate creatures. That anger and desperation brings about hatred. Hatred breeds war and more hatred. War breeds grief, sadness, anger, and desperation. It is vicious cycle. One that your teme of a father doesn't have to deal with anymore. He's dead What do you have to worry about when you're dead? And judging by the fact that you are here, he is still getting laid in the afterlife. I'm almost jealous."

A myriad of expressions crossed Ethan's face in response to what the whiskered man had said. One of the funniest ones by far though was the blush that stained his face when Naruto blatantly spoke of what his father did with his mother in order to bring him into the world. Despite this, however, his mind was able to come back to the main topic, "If that's true, what you said about human's and their cycle, then how do you stop it? I don't want to be live like you and he did. That sounds...suckish."

Naruto actually laughed at that, "You're telling me, kid! But to answer your question, I'm not sure we can stop it. Something like that is something I gladly tell you is impossible. There are too many people in the world and not enough love and understanding to go around. But I think that as long as you do your part to try and reduce the pain and suffering of others, it'll come back and bite you. In all the right ways." He spoke the last part with a sort of leering grin. He was pretty sure that Aella was all of his stored up good deeds coming back to him as karma. Well, at least as long as their love had lasted. He had no idea where she was now.

Ethan nodded, taking his wise and slightly perverted words to heart, "Okay then. From now on, I will try my hardest to prevent the pain and suffering of others as long as it is in my power to do so. That's my nindo!"

Naruto eyes snapped open wide at that, "Wha-what did you just say?" He hadn't heard something like that since, well, since he had said something similar. But that was a long time ago.

Ethan's dark eyes burned with a rare type of determination. A type he had only seen Sasuke show. Except this time it seemed to be focused on something positive, "My nindo. The code I will live by as a ninja. My father said that every great shinobi had one."

Naruto slowly shook off his surprise and his mouth slowly formed into a smile, "Well, he is right. And yours is a good one. But you'll need more than a nindo to be a great ninja. If that's the path you want to follow." He would need skills. More than he has now. That prank with the paint was such a beginner move. He needed to up his game.

Ethan thought about that for a moment before turning towards the blond with a scheming grin on his face, "You said that you and my dad were brothers right?"

Naruto nodded slowly and felt as if he were being trapped into something, "Yes..."

"And that would make you kinda like my uncle right?"

Where was the kid going with this, "Well, I guess-"

Ethan jumped up and pointed down at the blond man with a familiar and annoying smirk, "Well, then. Since I'm your nephew, that makes you obligated to train me. It wouldn't be proper for you not to." On the inside, the boy was sweating bullets. Naruto could kick his ass into next year with both hands tied behind his back...while sleeping.

Naruto sputtered for a moment before the truth of what the boy had said sunk in, "You really want me to train you?"

"Of course, you'll be training Lucy too and I can't let her get ahead of me."

Naruto stood up with a sigh, "Okay, then. I guess I'll train you both." The idea grew on him quickly and his eyes started burning with determination, "Cha! I'll turn you two into the greatest ninja Earth has ever seen! Even if it kills you!"

Ethan's fist pumped the air in triumph, "Hell yeah!" Then the last thing Naruto said registered.

"Wait. What?"

His only response was Naruto bursting into a round of maniacal laughter. The kid didn't know what he had just signed himself and, by proxy, Lucy up for.


End file.
